Ridley Scott says he is personally rewriting the next Alien film, a direct sequel to 2017’s Alien: Covenant that will bring back Michael Fassbender’s android David. Scott revealed the news in an interview with the French outlet AlloCine published August 29, after first mentioning the project to the Los Angeles Times.
The 88-year-old director, who made the original 1979 Alien before returning to the franchise for Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), said he stepped back in after watching 2024’s Alien: Romulus.
What Ridley Scott Actually Said
“I’m rewriting the next Alien film,” Scott told AlloCine. “Actually, I suddenly went back and got involved… I think it needs some help so I’ve gone back in. So I’ve already got a footprint for the next Alien film.” Asked about Alien: Romulus, the Fede Alvarez-directed 2024 entry that was not written or directed by Scott, he was measured rather than dismissive: “the one that just came out was OK,” he said, adding that the franchise “needs some help.”
David Is Returning, Not Walter
Fassbender played two androids across Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017): David, the original and increasingly unstable synthetic, and Walter, a more restrained later model. Scott confirmed the new film picks up David’s story specifically, describing him as a character who “now believes he’s Ozymandias” — a reference to the Percy Bysshe Shelley poem about a fallen god-king that David quoted throughout Covenant. Scott has said David spends the new film building “a brave new world for himself,” continuing the character’s arc toward playing creator rather than creation.
Why Scott Is Returning to David Now
Scott has said he deliberately kept David out of Alien: Romulus so a future film could still decide the character’s fate, and that watching Romulus is what pushed him to write that film himself. The director has also connected the project to his broader concerns about artificial intelligence, telling interviewers AI could go off “like a bomb” if left unchecked — the same anxiety that has driven David’s arc since Prometheus. It is not yet confirmed whether Scott will direct the film himself or serve as writer and producer only.
Where This Fits in the Alien Timeline
| Film | Year | Director | Fassbender’s Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prometheus | 2012 | Ridley Scott | David |
| Alien: Covenant | 2017 | Ridley Scott | David & Walter |
| Alien: Romulus | 2024 | Fede Alvarez | Not featured |
| Untitled Alien Sequel | TBA | Ridley Scott (writing) | David (confirmed) |
That places the new film as a direct continuation of Scott’s own prequel trilogy, not a follow-up to Alvarez’s Romulus, which was set between the original Alien films and did not involve David or Walter. No release date, cast beyond Fassbender, or title has been confirmed, and Scott has not said whether the film is greenlit for production or still in development at the script stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ridley Scott making a new Alien movie?
Yes. Scott told the French outlet AlloCine on August 29, 2026 that he is personally rewriting a new Alien film, describing it as a direct sequel to his 2017 film Alien: Covenant.
Is David or Walter returning in the new Alien film?
David. Michael Fassbender played both androids in the prequel films, but Scott has specifically confirmed the new film continues David’s story, not Walter’s.
Is the new Alien film connected to Alien: Romulus?
No. Scott’s new film continues the Prometheus and Alien: Covenant storyline he began in 2012. Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Alvarez in 2024, was a separate story set between the original Alien films and did not feature David or Walter.
When will the new Alien film be released?
No release date has been announced. Scott says he is currently rewriting the script; it has not been confirmed whether he will also direct.
Related Reading
The Xenomorph has already made its way into Marvel’s comics continuity — see our coverage of Alien vs. Captain America, Marvel’s WWII-set Xenomorph crossover — while Amazon works through its own franchise expansion in Dan Stevens’s RoboCop series for Prime Video.
