For a while now, we’ve known that the ALIEN franchise was going to be getting tons of love in the coming years. Between Ridley Scott, who kicked the whole thing off with his classic 1979 movie, returning to the property with PROMETHEUS and then announcing that the sequel would be called ALIEN: COVENANT, and ELYSIUM‘s Neill Blomkamp working on a film that would take place after James Cameron’s ALIENS, there was a lot to look forward to.

Somewhere around the time that Blomkamp’s CHAPPIE stalled at the box office last year, and Scott began moving full steam ahead with COVENANT it became clear that one of the upcoming films was now the studio’s main priority. While there’s been plenty of chatter about Scott’s prequel, things have gone somewhat cold on Blomkamp’s sequel.

ALIEN star Sigourney Weaver, who’s set to reprise her iconic role as Ellen Ripley in Blomkamp’s film, has offered an update on that film:

“Well, I think it is [happening]. Ridley asked Neill not to make our Alien ’til after ‘Prometheus 2.’  [Ridley] wanted his movie to shoot and be released first. But it’s an amazing script, and Neill and I are really excited about doing it. We’re doing other things until we can get going on that. I’d be really surprised if we didn’t do it, because it’s such a great script, and we love working together. So, it’s just going to take a little bit longer to get out to you, but it’ll be worth the wait.”

While Weaver sounds like she’s trying to be optimistic, couching her statements with words like “I think” makes it seem like the film still needs work and the studio is- perhaps- uncertain about its future.

Scott, on the other hand, sounded far more confident back in October. Not only is he directing ALIEN: COVENANT, but he’s also producing Blomkamp’s film, so he has a vested interest in keeping the ball rolling. Here’s what he said:

“I’m producing [Blomkamp’s movie]. It’s designed to go next after [‘Alien: Covenant’]. [His version] is more associated with Ripley. It’s coming from a completely different angle. It’skind of more of a sequel… after, after after. I’m coming at it from the back end.”

Again, that was seven months ago, so we’ll have to see how that all pans out.

For now, we know we’re definitely getting ALIEN: COVENANT, which comes out next year on August 4. Do you believe Weaver’s sentiment, that Blomkamp’s sequel will be worth the wait? Or are you- like me- thinking the whole thing is on hold until Fox sees how COVENANT does, and that they intend to be a lot more hands-on now that Blomkamp brand isn’t quite what it was when his DISTRICT 9 was a sleeper hit in 2009?

We shall see.

SOURCE: IndieWire