Alien: Covenant Sequel Will Begin Shooting "Within 14 Months"

Bursting with promise.

By Joe Skrebels

We already knew that Ridley Scott wants to make more Alien films after Covenant - but we now know he intends to begin shooting the first of them by next year.

Speaking to IGN, Scott said that, "we're writing [a sequel] now, as we speak. I'll be filming that within 14 months."

When asked if he planned to resolve unanswered questions about the Alien universe in future movies, Scott explained that the story has been left "wide open" by design: "That's why I'm doing it, so you're asking these questions."

Scott has previously mentioned a title, "Awakening" when talking about four possible future Alien films, and intimated that it could take place between Prometheus and Covenant. However, in this interview, he refers to Neill Blomkamp's now-canned Alien 5 as Awakening.

This might have signaled a return or retooling of the lost film, but Scott makes very clear - once again - that that project is dead, despite his attempts to resuscitate it.

"They wanted to do Alien, er, Awakening - Neill Blomkamp", he explained in the latest interview.  "I said fine. I was going to be the producer. If I could have, I would have. Except I do question - why have both [Blomkamp's Alien and Scott's Alien] out there? It seems like shooting your big toe off - it doesn't make sense.

"But they didn't go forward with it, Fox, so I just kind of kept out of it. I mean, I'd literally ignited this thing to bring it off the ground again, because it was lying there dormant on a shelf. I had this thing to bring it back up - but here we are."

Scott also made clear that he'd like to keep making Alien films as long as his sequels remain up to standard: "It's good when it's good. If the sequel's good, then it's worthwhile."

And it is good - the new movie may retain some of Prometheus' less welcome elements, but our review says that "while Covenant continues to pose new questions, it also provides answers, and does so within a much more immediately enjoyable and rewarding experience."

Alien: Covenant will be released on May 12 in the UK, May 18 in Australia, and May 19 in the US.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's UK News Editor and he is Team David. Better hair. Follow him on Twitter.

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