A new Alien movie is in development at 20th Century Studios, with Raised by Wolves creator Aaron Guzikowski reportedly hired to write it and Ridley Scott producing. The film is not a sequel to Alien: Romulus, according to Bloody Disgusting and Nerdist, which cite The Hollywood Reporter.
The Writer Behind the Project
Guzikowski wrote Prisoners and created the HBO Max series Raised by Wolves with Scott, per Nerdist. Scott is attached only as a producer, and no director has been announced, Bloody Disgusting reports.
The choice of writer carries a specific logic. Raised by Wolves was a science fiction series about androids and humans, and Scott was closely involved with it, so the two men already have a working relationship in the genre. Prisoners, the 2013 thriller Guzikowski wrote, demonstrates a talent for dark, tense storytelling. Both credits suggest an appetite for the type of material that the Alien franchise has built its reputation on, though the reports describe the hiring as reported and not as an official studio announcement.
A Producer, Not a Director
Scott directed the original Alien in 1979, so his return to the franchise in any form is notable. The reports are specific that he is attached only as a producer. No director has been named, which leaves one of the most important creative roles on the project unfilled. In practical terms, that means the film is at a stage where the script is the primary asset, and decisions about its visual style and tone cannot yet be assessed.
The Prometheus Connection
The film is said to relate to Scott’s earlier Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), with David, the android played by Michael Fassbender, as the connective figure, according to ComicBook.com. Fassbender is not currently attached. Bloody Disgusting notes that Scott has consistently said he intends to close out the trilogy that began with Prometheus and Covenant.
That link is significant because Prometheus and Covenant took the franchise in a different direction from the earlier films, concentrating on questions of creation, artificial life and the origins of the creatures. David appears in both, which makes him a natural thread between them. Scott’s stated wish to complete that group of films gives the new project a possible role as a conclusion, though the reports do not confirm the story or say how directly it would continue the earlier plots.
It also matters that Fassbender is not attached. Since the character is described as central to the connection, the absence of a confirmed casting leaves a major question open, and the reports do not say whether the part will be played by him or by another performer.
Reports Disagree on the Romulus Follow-Up
ComicBook.com describes the project as in its early days, and none of the reports give a release date.
Reports differ on the planned Romulus follow-up. ComicBook.com says that sequel is reportedly in limbo at the studio, Nerdist says nothing has been heard about it for some time, and Bloody Disgusting says Scott is also producing a Romulus sequel.
Alien: Romulus was released in 2024, and a sequel to it has been widely expected. The three outlets cited here describe its status in three different ways: as being in limbo, as silent for a long period, and as having Scott attached as producer. Because the accounts do not agree, none of them should be treated as settled, and readers should wait for a statement from 20th Century Studios before drawing conclusions about the follow-up.
What Is Confirmed and What Is Not
The confirmed information is limited. A new Alien film is in development, Guzikowski is reported as the writer, Scott is reported as producer, and the film is described as separate from Romulus. Everything else, including a director, a cast, a story outline, a title and a release date, remains unannounced. Since the reports rely on trade coverage and not on a studio press release, details could change as the project develops.
A Franchise of Changing Voices
Over the years the Alien films have been made by different directors with different priorities. The original was a claustrophobic horror story set aboard a spaceship, Aliens in 1986 turned toward large-scale action, and later entries have alternated between those tones and more philosophical material. Romulus returned to a smaller, more horror-driven approach in 2024. Against that background, a new film built by Scott and Guzikowski from the ideas of Prometheus and Covenant would add yet another voice to a series that has regularly changed its creative direction.
Why This Matters for the Franchise
The Alien series began in 1979 and has spanned several decades, multiple directors and a wide variety of tones. A new film that draws from Prometheus and Covenant instead of Romulus suggests the studio is exploring more than one direction for the property at the same time. Whether that approach produces two separate lines of films, or a different arrangement, is not addressed in the cited reports, and viewers will have to wait for official announcements to learn how the projects fit together.