Sir Ridley Scott has confirmed 'Alien: Covenant' sequel will film within the next 14 months.
Sir Ridley Scott with Giannina Facio
The 79-year-old Hollywood director revived the 'Alien' franchise he created with his original 1979 sci-fi horror movie with 2012 prequel 'Prometheus' and the follow-up to that film is out this month.
Now, Scott has revealed that he intends to get work on the next movie as soon as the script is ready.
In an interview with IGN, Scott - who is married to Giannina Facio - said: "We're writing [a sequel] now, as we speak. I'll be filming that within 14 months."
The latest installment in the franchise 'Alien: Covenant' is based on a team aboard a colony ship who discover an uncharted paradise but all is not what it seems and the crew soon find themselves fighting for survival as the deadly Xenomorph creatures attack them.
There are plot threads left from that movie to be answered and many other unresolved questions from the franchise, but Scott is coy about whether he is going to provide the answers.
When asked if he planned to resolve these mysteries, Scott said the story has been left "wide open" and added: "That's why I'm doing it, so you're asking these questions."
Discussing carrying on the prequels beyond a third installment, he said: "It's good when it's good. If the sequel's good, then it's worthwhile."
The franchise began with 1979's 'Alien', and was followed by director James Cameron's all-action 'Aliens' in 1986, David Fincher's atmospheric 'Alien 3' in 1992 and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's much derided 'Alien: Resurrection' in 1997.
Two panned 'Alien vs. Predator' spin-offs came in the Noughties, inspired by a video game series and which pitted the Xenomorph against the Predator intergalactic hunter - a being established in a separate series of movies which began in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in the classic of the sci-fi genre - before Scott picked up the baton again.
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