This year, the Alien franchise made a comeback with the release of Alien: Romulus, a well-received filmâthough we had some reservations about the ending. Still, Fede Ălvarez breathed new life into the franchise, which had lagged with Covenant, much like Dan Trachtenbergâs Prey revitalized the Predator universe. Both franchises are expanding, with Alien: Romulus 2 in the works and two new Predator films on the way: Badlands and another secret project.
Steve Asbell, head of 20th Century Studios, shared these exciting updates in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Romulus performed well at the box office as an R-rated film, grossing $350.8M worldwide against its $80M budget since its August release. This success has spurred the studioâs confidence in the franchise and in Ălvarez. When asked about future plans for Alien, Asbell said:
"Weâre already working on ideas for a sequel. While we havenât finalized an agreement with Fede yet, we plan to soon, and he already has a concept in mind. The two survivors, Rain and Andy, portrayed by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, were the heart of the film. So, Iâve often thought, where would they go next, and what would fans want to see? There will definitely be aliens in the sequel, and we know the sets will again be fantastic. But, most importantly, I loved these characters, so I want to see where their story goes next."
So, Spaenyâs Rain will likely return as the new Ripley figure, along with her quasi-brother android. But who will return in the new Predator films? When pressed, Asbell hinted that two Predator films are coming soon:
"After the success of Prey, Dan came back to us and said he didnât want to make Prey 2. So, we asked him what he did want to do, and he pitched a few ideas that were both wild and exciting. Weâre moving forward with two of them, both of which will debut next year. I canât talk about one of them yet, but the other is the live-action Predator that Elle Fanning is currently wrapping up filming in New Zealand. It will hit theaters sometime next year."
This live-action film, titled Badlands, is a mind-bending sci-fi that, according to Asbell, will challenge expectations for a Predator film. "Itâs incredible. Itâs mind-blowing. But we trust Dan implicitly," he assured, revealing that the second Predator film Trachtenberg directedâlike Prey and Badlandsâis shrouded in secrecy. Asbell strongly hinted that this Predator project, arriving before Badlands, would not be released theatrically, likely premiering on Disney+ like Prey. Thereâs even a chance it might be animated, as Asbell referred to Badlands specifically as a live-action story. And regarding a possible new Alien vs. Predator? "Maybe," the studio head hinted. Ălvarez would reportedly be open to the idea, too.
