New ALIEN Movie Confirmed by Writer, But is it an ALIEN: ROMULUS Sequel or Something Else?
The Alien franchise is getting another movie, but exactly where it fits into the long-running sci-fi horror series remains a mystery. Screenwriter Brian Duffield has confirmed that he worked on a script for an upcoming Alien film, though he's keeping the details to himself.
Duffield, who directed Whalefall, recently spoke with TheWrap and addressed rumors that he was writing and directing a new Alien movie. While those reports weren't accurate, he revealed that he did contribute to a screenplay for the franchise.
“They needed some help for a few weeks over Christmas, and Steve Asbell at 20th asked if I would help them out a little bit. It was a very brief window. I’m not a part of it. I haven’t been asked to be a part of it, but it’s cool. I know what they’re doing, and it’s really neat. But that’s not an adventure I’m going on.”
So, Duffield knows what's coming, and apparently, it's something pretty cool. Unfortunately, he's not giving us anything more to go on.
The most obvious possibility is a sequel to Alien: Romulus. The 2024 film brought the franchise roaring back to theaters, earning more than $350 million worldwide and scoring an Academy Award nomination. It also left plenty of room for another chapter.
Director and co-writer Fede Álvarez has previously discussed developing a follow-up, making Alien: Romulus 2 the most likely candidate for the script Duffield helped polish.
The success of Romulus also proved there's still a huge audience for the franchise's particular brand of R-rated sci-fi horror. That's especially impressive considering the series has continued to grow under Disney following its acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
The franchise has also expanded to television with Alien: Earth, which is currently filming its second season. Between the theatrical success of Romulus and the expansion into TV, the Xenomorphs have plenty of life left in them.
However, there's another interesting possibility involving Ridley Scott, the filmmaker who started it all with 1979's Alien. Scott later returned to the franchise with 2012's Prometheus and 2017's Alien: Covenant. The latter ended with a pretty disturbing cliffhanger that has remained unresolved for nearly a decade.
Earlier this August, Scott revealed that he was rewriting the next Alien movie. He also shared his thoughts on Romulus, saying it “was okay” before adding that “it needs some help.”
That raises an interesting question about whether Scott's involvement could lead to a continuation of Covenant, possibly through the planned Romulus sequel.
Of course, there's also the possibility that Duffield worked on an entirely different Alien project that hasn't been announced yet. Nothing says 20th Century Studios has to limit itself to one movie at a time, especially with the franchise enjoying renewed success.
Duffield also has some experience working with another famous extraterrestrial franchise. He received an “additional literary material (not on-screen)” credit on 2025's Predator: Badlands, so helping out with an Alien screenplay isn't exactly unfamiliar territory for him.
For now, we know that another Alien movie is being developed, but we don't know whether it's a direct continuation of Romulus, a return to Scott's Prometheus and Covenant storyline, or something completely unexpected.
I know some people would like to see the franchise finally address what happened after Alien: Covenant, especially with that movie leaving such a sinister ending hanging. But, I’m more excited for the Romulus sequel, which introduced characters worth following into another nightmare.
Whatever direction the filmmakers take, I'm just happy we're getting more Alien movies. As long as the franchise keeps delivering terrifying creatures, creepy atmosphere, and some seriously messed-up sci-fi horror, I'm in.