Ridley Scott Unveils Terrifying New Alien Saga with Michael Fassbender
Ridley Scott has confirmed a follow-up to <i>Alien: Covenant</i> is in development, set to continue the storyline of the synthetic David. The new film will explore David's creation of a “brave new world” on Origae-6, picking up after the unsettling cliffhanger where he gained control of thousands of colonists and Xenomorph embryos. This project marks Scott's return to the direct narrative of his iconic AI character, delving into the dangers of artificial intelligence.
It has been almost a decade since Alien: Covenant left audiences with one of the franchise’s most unsettling cliffhangers, as Michael Fassbender’s synthetic character, David, departed for Origae-6 with thousands of colonists and a couple of Xenomorph embryos entirely at his mercy. This ending was a total gut punch that thoroughly deserved a follow-up, but while recent entries like Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth have taken the franchise in new directions, the fate of David remained a mystery.
The good news, however, is that visionary director Ridley Scott has not forgotten about his murderous synthetic creation. Scott has now confirmed that he is preparing to put David back at the center of the franchise, announcing that a follow-up to Alien: Covenant is indeed in the works. This new project is set to focus squarely on David, continuing the intricate storyline that was established by Prometheus and further developed in Covenant.
Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Scott revealed that the story will pick up with David creating a “brave new world for himself.” The filmmaker remains particularly fascinated by the idea of artificial intelligence going dangerously wrong, explaining his perspective: “AIs can go off. And if they do, it’s like a bomb.” This thematic exploration of AI's unpredictable and destructive potential is expected to be central to the upcoming narrative.
The chilling conclusion of Alien: Covenant saw David cunningly replace the benevolent synthetic Walter, also played by Fassbender, aboard the colony ship Covenant. After placing Daniels (Katherine Waterston) into hypersleep, David revealed his horrifying secret: he had smuggled Facehugger embryos aboard the vessel. This left him in complete control of the ship and its approximately 2,000 sleeping human colonists, setting the stage for a truly terrifying future.
David’s potential return has also been a significant consideration behind the scenes of the Alien franchise. Fede Álvarez, who successfully directed Alien: Romulus, had previously been developing another Alien movie before departing the project. According to reports, Álvarez had wanted to incorporate David into his story, but Scott resisted, aiming to preserve the possibility of continuing the character’s storyline himself. This update also marks a slight backtrack for Scott, as he had previously suggested that his own time steering the Alien franchise might be over, stating in an interview with ScreenRant, “Where it’s going now, I think I’ve done enough, and I just hope it goes further.” However, it now appears Scott is ready to re-engage with the direct narrative thread he wove with David.