Brian Duffield has finally addressed the rumor that he’s writing a new Alien movie for 20th Century Studios, and it turns out the story is a little more complicated than we thought. The Whalefall director says he spent a couple of weeks helping the studio with an Alien project, but he insists he isn’t writing an Alien movie as his next project. And with Ridley Scott still hoping to continue the story of Alien: Covenant, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to figure out where the legendary sci-fi horror franchise is headed next.
Brian Duffield sets the record straight on the Alien rumor
Rumors that Duffield was writing a new Alien movie began circulating after industry insider Daniel Richtman reported the news, with journalist Jeff Sneider also saying he had heard the same thing. The speculation raised an obvious question: Was Duffield working on the sequel to 2024’s Alien: Romulus, or was 20th Century Studios developing another story set in the universe?
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Duffield explained how the rumor started. While he was working on Whalefall, the studio asked him to provide some writing assistance on an Alien project. However, he says that work lasted only two weeks, and he declined to identify the specific movie.
“I’m not doing an Alien movie. I know how the rumor started, but no one’s ever asked me to direct an Alien movie. 20th needed some [writing] help for a couple of weeks, and I helped while I was doing Whalefall because it’s the same people and studio. So that’s not what’s next for me, but hopefully they get it up and running soon. Those actors are so awesome.”
Duffield’s comments confirm that he did contribute writing work to an Alien project, but that doesn’t mean he’s writing the entire movie, directing it, or preparing to take the franchise in a new direction. He also didn’t identify the project he worked on, so we can’t say for certain whether it was connected to Alien: Romulus 2 or another installment.
What about the Alien: Romulus sequel?
The future of Alien: Romulus has been a source of speculation ever since director Fede Álvarez confirmed that he wouldn’t return to direct the sequel. Álvarez co-wrote the follow-up with Rodo Sayagues and remains attached as a producer alongside Scott, but the project needs a new filmmaker to take the reins.
Alien: Romulus was a box office success in 2024, earning more than $350 million worldwide. A sequel seemed like a natural next step, but the search for a new director has left fans wondering when the next chapter will arrive and what direction it might take.
Ridley Scott still wants to continue Alien: Covenant
Scott has recently reignited interest in another potential Alien movie: a third installment in the prequel storyline that began with Prometheus and continued with Alien: Covenant. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Scott said he wants to pick up where Alien: Covenant left off, following Michael Fassbender’s android David as he attempts to create a “brave new world for himself.”
Scott has also been outspoken about his interest in the franchise’s artificial intelligence themes. David’s story remains unresolved following the events of Alien: Covenant, which ended with the android in control of the Covenant colony ship and its human passengers.
As we recently reported, Scott has also said that Alien: Romulus was “OK” and that the franchise “needs some help.”
Where does the Alien franchise go from here?
At this point, there are several possible directions for the next Alien movie, but the available information doesn’t establish how they fit together. The Alien: Romulus sequel remains a project to watch, with Álvarez staying involved as a producer while the search for a new director continues. Scott wants to make another prequel that would follow David after Alien: Covenant. And Duffield has confirmed that he provided a couple of weeks of writing assistance on an unnamed Alien project, without saying which film it was.
There’s no confirmation that Duffield was working on Scott’s proposed prequel or the Romulus sequel specifically. Somebody still needs to tell us which Alien movie is actually coming next.
What do you think of Brian Duffield contributing to the Alien franchise? Which script do you hope he was working on? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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