Just a week ago, it was announced that a sequel is in the works for this summer's successful Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez, who took the reins from Ridley Scott. Although Scott handed over directing duties, he remained a supervising producer on the project. Now, a new report on Scott and his production company, Scott Free, sheds light on their current projects, with Scott himself hinting at developing another Alien film. The phrasing is a bit ambiguous, but it’s possible this new project may be separate from Romulus 2—a standalone Alien directed by Scott.
The Hollywood Reporter sat down with Scott Free's leaders, including Scott himself, for a conversation centered around the upcoming Gladiator 2, with plans already underway for another sequel to the iconic film. Naturally, the topic of Alien came up, with the team revealing they’re working on a new film following Romulus's success. Several sources, including Screenrant and Total Film, interpret this to mean that in addition to the Romulus sequel (and the Noah Hawley-directed series), a brand new Scott-led Alien is in development. Scott, who is just shy of 87, mentioned that during the making of Romulus, he advised Álvarez, who initially resisted Scott's input but later agreed to a re-edit based on Scott’s suggestions.
“I have a knack for spotting if something is too intellectual or, on the flip side, not intellectual enough. Recognizing extremes is part of my job, as is spotting when something is too long or too complex. That’s when I step in as a producer, or really, as an editor. I always approach directors with respect, and if you treat them with respect, they’ll listen to you,” Scott shared, also lamenting that his company doesn’t hold the rights to Alien or Blade Runner.
Scott sees this as a missed opportunity by Scott Free’s earlier leadership, as they failed to secure the IP rights when they had the chance. “I should have snapped them up like Steven Spielberg did with Jurassic Park and all his other projects, or like James Cameron. I resurrected the Alien franchise with Prometheus and Covenant, and that was the moment to reclaim the rights, but we didn’t, because someone dropped the ball,” Scott explained. Despite this, he continues to be deeply involved in the major franchises he pioneered.
Scott’s next directing project is actually a biopic on the Bee Gees, so if he does indeed plan to work on another Alien film, it will likely come after completing the musical feature.
