Alien: EarthImage via FX
Ridley Scott has plenty of notable sci-fi hits under his belt over the last 40 years, but none have stood the test of time as well as Alien. He directed the 1979 classic on a budget of only $11 million, and it was such a success that it spawned a franchise still going strong to this day. Scott passed off directorial control to James Cameron for the sci-fi sequel, and looking back, there aren’t two directors more suited to handle sci-fi horror than the two who have come to define sci-fi in cinema as we know it. Scott returned to the Alien franchise 13 years ago with the premiere of the Michael Fassbender and Idris Elba-led Prometheus prequel, and he directed what will likely be his final Alien movie with 2017’s Covenant. While Scott hasn’t directed anything Alien-related since 2017, he remains involved in the franchise as a producer who gives creative insight.
The most recent Alien project that Scott was involved in was Alien: Earth, the franchise’s first TV show, which was written and created for TV by Noah Hawley (Fargo). The hit sci-fi series is set two years before the events of the first Alien movie, and it follows a young woman and a group of ragtag soldiers who make a fateful discovery after a vessel full of dangerous species crashes on Earth. It took some time, but FX renewed Alien: Earth for a second season weeks after the Season 1 finale. Updates since the official renewal have been mostly quiet, until recently, when executive producer Dana Gonzales posted a photo from Pinewood Studios on Instagram, the production home of Alien: Earth, with the caption, “Super excited to start the journey of Alien: Earth Season 2. World-building in the Alien universe birthplace.” It sounds like production on Alien: Earth Season 2 will begin any day now.
Are They Making Another ‘Alien’ Movie?
Another Alien movie is in the works, and it will reportedly be a direct sequel to Alien: Romulus, the 2024 hit directed by Fede Alvarez. It’s unclear at this time who will star in the film or when it will be released, but Alvarez has confirmed that he will not direct. He and Ridley Scott are in the process of searching for a new director, and the film will likely not move forward any further until they find someone suitable to helm the sequel.
Check out the first season of Alien: Earth on Hulu and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Season 2.