Filmmaker Ridley Scott has confirmed that the third prequel to the hit Alien franchise is being penned and he will return to helm the film. The director broke the news during an interaction with the press at the 40th-anniversary celebrations of the franchise, which began in 1979.

He said that he has plans to direct the third prequel, but the film is still in the scripting phase. Though it has been speculated for a while that the sequel to 2017's Alien: Covenant has been titled, Alien: Awakening, there was no confirmation about the title from his side. 

Scott's Alien, the first film of the franchise, was followed by the sequels, Aliens,  Alien 3, and Alien: Resurrection, which were helmed by James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, respectively. Scott re-joined the series in 2012 and helmed the prequels — Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. 

An official announcement about the title and principal crew of the upcoming film is expected soon.