With several Alien and Predator projects in the making, the franchise is busy under Disney. Prometheus 3 (sometimes called Alien: Awakening) is Ridley Scott's planned sequel to Alien: Covenant, and the third part of the prequel trilogy. In August 2026, Scott put that film back in development, with the android David's story still open after Covenant.
David's Return And A Third Alien Prequel
In August 2026, Ridley Scott told the Los Angeles Times that a third Alien prequel was in the works. The film would follow Michael Fassbender's David as he built a "brave new world for himself." Scott compared a rogue AI to a bomb, and listed the project beside other films he was preparing, including Treasure Island. That put Prometheus 3 back in development after years when the sequel looked dead. No studio greenlight, start date, or new Fassbender deal was announced.
Continuing David's Story In "Prometheus 3"
Prometheus 3 was meant to continue the story of David, the android with an unhealthy god complex. At the end of the last movie, David had full control over the 2000 colonists and 1140 embryos onboard the USCSS Covenant, in addition to the two proto-eggs he carried with him. The ship was headed to Origae-6, and David had no reason to change its course. Presumably, David would continue his sick experiments on the planet, waking up colonists one by one, and making full use of the two facehuggers available, possibly producing an Alien Queen. Both Daniels and Tennessee were also alive but in stasis, and David would have no motivation for making a quick awakening for them.
The Engineer Connection In "Alien: Awakening"
Additionally, Ridley Scott hinted at a storyline involving the return of the Engineers. In this envisioned sequel, the Engineers would have found their planet decimated by the Black Goo Pathogen, leading to an investigation by new characters, including the Engineers themselves. The narrative could have taken us to different planets - either the Engineers' home planet as seen in "Alien: Covenant," Origae-6, or perhaps even LV-426 from the original "Alien." This sequel would likely have bridged the gap between the Prometheus series and the original "Alien" film, potentially revealing the origins of the derelict spacecraft and the doomed Engineer found by the crew of the Nostromo. Perhaps the LV-426 derelict ship would have just crash-landed a few years before the events of Alien, and contained a familiar Engineer, or even David or Daniels in the Engineer suit.
The Question Of "Alien 5" By Neill Blomkamp
Among the Alien projects being recently developed, another intriguing chapter was the subsequent cancellation of "Alien 5" by Neill Blomkamp. This project, which had generated significant interest among fans, was envisioned as a direct sequel to James Cameron's "Aliens," potentially bypassing the events of "Alien 3" and "Alien: Resurrection." Blomkamp's vision for "Alien 5" promised a return to the action-packed roots of "Aliens," complete with the return of iconic characters, including Hicks and Newt. However, this sequel was ultimately shelved in favor of Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant, a decision that redirected the franchise's trajectory. Alien 5 stayed canceled, while the Covenant sequel later came back into play.
Alien V By Walter Hill
Separate from Neill Blomkamp's canceled Alien 5, longtime franchise producer and writer Walter Hill also developed an early concept often referred to as "Alien V." According to comments shared by Sigourney Weaver in 2025, Hill had written a story treatment that explored Ripley's place in a far-future society, possibly involving Ripley 8 after Alien: Resurrection. The idea reportedly leaned more toward themes of legacy, identity, and the long-term consequences of humanity's encounters with the Xenomorphs. This would make it tonally different from both the action-heavy Aliens sequels and Ridley Scott's prequel films. Despite the existence of this treatment, it is unclear if Alien V moved beyond the conceptual stage and is in active development.
A Sequel To Alien: Romulus
Alien: Romulus opened in 2024 between Alien and Aliens, and stayed off the Prometheus storyline. Fede Álvarez directed it, wrote it with Rodo Sayagues, then the two finished a script for Alien: Romulus 2 that continues Rain and Andy after they left for Yvaga III. Álvarez stepped back to produce with Ridley Scott, and 20th Century Studios was still looking for a new director. No title or release date was set, and a 2027 opening looked unlikely until that hire landed.
A Second Season Of Alien: Earth
Alien: Earth, created by Noah Hawley for FX, premiered in 2025 as the first live-action Alien series. It was set in 2120, after the USCSS Maginot crash and the Prodigy Corporation's fight over the specimens. FX renewed it in November 2025, and season 2 was filming at Pinewood Studios in London by July 2026, after Peter Dinklage joined the regular cast in April and Tracey Ullman, Sam Spruell, and Jerome Flynn were added as cameras rolled. No air date was locked, and the season was not expected before 2027. The series sat closest to Prometheus and Alien: Covenant on the Alien timeline.
Bringing Several Characters Together
In early 2026, industry rumors suggested that Fede Alvarez considered bringing back Michael Fassbender's android David for the Alien: Romulus sequel. According to unconfirmed reports, the idea was ultimately rejected, potentially due to creative differences over the future direction of the Alien franchise. Neither 20th Century Studios nor Ridley Scott publicly commented on those reports at the time. Scott later kept David for a third prequel of his own. Also, the possibility of a new Alien vs. Predator film remains open. Both Fede Alvarez and Dan Trachtenberg have expressed interest in the idea, with Alvarez previously suggesting that the two directors could potentially collaborate on a future crossover project. At the same time, Predator: Badlands introduced stronger connections to the Alien universe through Weyland-Yutani, while 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell has indicated that any future crossover would likely emerge organically from the current Alien and Predator storylines rather than as a traditional Alien vs. Predator sequel. Whether that eventually takes the form of Alien vs. Predator 3, Predator: Badlands 2, or another project entirely remains unknown.
Conclusion
In August 2026, Ridley Scott put Prometheus 3, or Alien: Awakening, back in development as a David story after Alien: Covenant, though the film was not greenlit and sat beside Treasure Island and other Scott Free projects. Alien 5 by Neill Blomkamp stayed canceled. Until cameras roll, Covenant's ending remains an open thread rather than a closed chapter.
External Sources
- Los Angeles Times: Ridley Scott Interview
- AvP Galaxy: David's Return, 3rd Alien Prequel Allegedly Being Developed By Ridley Scott
- GeekTyrant: Rumored Plans For David's Return In The Alien: Romulus Sequel
- Deadline: Fede Alvarez Discusses a Potential Alien vs. Predator Film With Dan Trachtenberg
Tag Categories: Upcoming Alien And Predator Movies | News
