Variety: Ridley Scott is in pre-production on a sequel to his 2017 “Alien: Covenant"

Awesome.

Thank-you very much for this news!!!

Very cool! Let's see if Scott can deliver a commercial and critical success with The Cartel! I'm not sure if the next Alien movie is actually next on his docket, but damn I hope so!

If we assume The Cartel is his next gig then it could still be likely that Shooting could commence at some time in 2018 for a 2019 release which would mark 40 years after this JOURNEY into the Alien Universe began.

I think FOX may indeed be tempted to forgo many events leading to what a direct Alien Covenant Sequel would be, much like they did with a direct Prometheus sequel.

There are as of the end of Alien Covenant about 17 years until that Fateful event that leads the Nostromo to LV-426, considering a lot it geared towards we can assume Origae-6 as the next stop for David and his Creation... this would leave 9-10 years prior to Alien.

I wonder if FOX instead of giving us TWO movies to Answer that Big Question left by Alien, THE SPACE JOCKEY i wonder if they would choose the next movie to take us to this event... leaving another movie to cover other events prior?

I think it would be just fitting if we finally get the ANSWERS 40 years after those mysteries were left?

bigDave -

How awesome. 40 years and they deliver us the final piece in the prequels, leaving us at the nostromo. Apparantly RS said it would lead right the way up to the signal being picked up.

That could change.

Also, has any one noticed RS has changed the wording in his slogan in interviews. Pre A-C release it was "Why has no one ever asked about him, the big guy in the chair. that is where we go next". TO "Why did no one ask where these creatures and this substance come from".

Which means bye Engineers hello Alien:A:I

Why rebuild the Space Jockey set..for a quick little distress sequence in Alien:Covenant?! I mean that's just a crazy waste of money.

I'm hoping they kept the SJ set up and ready for filming.

40 years. We like our even numbers! It would be a great opportunity to do something really special...............or just do another movie to string us along while some start sizing themselves for adult diapers.

At any rate, it is nice to hear of a new development. Thanks Daszkowski

"I'm hoping they kept the SJ set up and ready for filming."

I felt the exact same way MonsterZero. If they only had enough money for a single movie with James Franco in it...then they would have filmed some of the content from prequel novel with him in it and then go back to the happenings around Paradise. I wish.

Great point, the juggernaut pilot's chamber was shown for just moments in Alien: Covenant.

I really hope that the next movie will be good but from an article that I read it seems that it will be much about AI. I am afraid that this movie will be really bad. Keep more focus on well done human characters instead of what became of AC. Unfortunately I don't have very high hopes about this one because of how Covenant became the way it did.

As far as forego events I am not sure if every detail that leads up to the SJ needs to be told. There are probably many details that are not very important to the story.

As excited as I am for the next film, which I'm glad Ridley is still heading, I hope BigDave is right and we get an additional film after Awakening because we still have 17 years. Unless we get a time skip in Awakening and the Derelict crashes on LV-426 waiting several years before the Nostromo crew comes around full-circle.

@Daszkowski

The report is not confirming that The Cartel will be filmed before the AC sequel. 

IMDB isn't even confirming that report by Deadline. 

AS of now, the Covenant sequel is in pre-production slated for a 2019 release. 

Deadline is not as accurate with their reports compared to Variety. 

Alien Covenant sequel is being filmed before The Cartel, I hope so.  

@Thoughts_Dreams

Reading between the lines it appears the emphasis will be on AI i do however also it will reflect on the Philosophical Elements of this and also how Creation attempting to Sub-Create always holds its Folly.

So i would not be surprised if there will be some themes regarding the Creator and AI connection, also being explored somewhere else within the Whole Hierarchy... Like Imagine the Curve-ball if the actual GOD in the Franchise is actually some Ancient AI/Machine

But indeed they do need some Human Characters, and i think giving us some New Characters that are interesting may not be enough, if these are Characters who will not play a large role in future movies.

I feel RS/FOX will pull the Ripley Connection Card..

With a incoming 1-2 Human Ships/Missions there is potential for some Good Characters there if done right....

Who knows if there are Humans on Origae-6 already, but looking at AC and some of the extra footage, it appears the Crew of the Covenant Ship would be the First to Arrive....  But we cant rule out the company sending a prior smaller ship that arrives first.

I think it would be a bit too much of a Coincidence that Origae-6 already had Humanoids on it, unless they show us a World that has remnants of a Fallen, Long Dead Humanoid Civilization. Maybe that could work?

As for established Characters, the way the ended Alien Covenant, and what appears to be the plans now... would not hold well for Daniels and Tennessee.  Especially if they are going to more Shoe-Horn the next movie to tie into ALIEN.

A lot has to do with the Events leading up to Alien we have 17 years to go, We have David and Two Face Huggers and nearly 2000 Colonist and 1000 Embryos and if he is off to Origae-6 in the Covenant Ship then he would not arrive at Origae-6 until almost 10 years prior to Alien.

Then there is at least a MOVIE there... as far as what happens on the location David arrives at, and between the incoming parties.. Before somehow Davids Creations end up on a Engineer Ship and in the LV-223/426 Zeta 2 System.

Its for this reason i think a lot of the events from David putting those Face Huggers into the Embryo Storage, until he arrives at his destination would be covered pretty much like events of when Dr Shaw was leaving on that ATV with Davids Body... to when the Covenant Crew arrive...

Meaning i cant see much apart from the odd flash/back scene taking place on the Covenant Ship...  and THUS... as AC was pretty much a 10 years latter Flick to Prometheus... i feel Alien Awakening could be a 8-10 years latter than Alien Covenant Flick.