'Alien' Is Getting Another Prequel: Ridley Scott Says He's Returning to Director's Chair

Mar. 16, 2025

TheAlienuniverse isn’t going away anytime soon.

In an extensive interview withVarietyto mark the 40th anniversary of the1979 original, director Ridley Scott revealed he’s set on returning to helm a third prequel in the franchise. The movie previously spun off prequels in 2012’sPrometheusand 2017’sAlien: Covenant,both of which Scott directed after stepping away from the franchise following its Oscar-winning debut.

The third prequel is reportedly in the script phase.

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On the set of Alien

Scott also gave insight into why the movie is so scary — and why the titular alien continues to haunt dreams. According to the director, it was about keeping the mystery for as long as possible.

“You don’t show the monster too many times because you’ll get used to him and you never want to get used to him — ever. That’s always been my thesis,” Scott explained. “The best screening room in the world is the space between your ears, which is your brain. So, it’s learning to tap into the human brain to show just so much. Let the brain do a lot of the work. That’s where you start to tap into people’s anxieties.”

The originalAlienstarred Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and John Hurt, while the sequels and prequels have starred a number of different actors. Most recently,Alien: Covenantstarred Michael Fassbender and Katherine Waterston.

source: people.com