Nearly six years after the Xenomorphs last graced our screens, Disney’s 20th Century Studios is gearing up for another go-around in the Alien universe. Though the film still remains without a title, it has been confirmed that Fede Alvarez, of Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead fame, is set to direct an upcoming installment in the series, which will be led by Cailee Spaeny (Bad Times at the El Royale, Pacific Rim: Uprising). Now, it has been revealed that several more cast members have joined in on the fun, presumably to serve as cannon fodder for these acid-blooded space monsters.
A press release confirmed that the ensemble has added David Jonsson (Industry), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn (The Batman) and Aileen Wu (Away from Home). This comes on the heels of the news that Isabela Merced (Transformers: Age of Extinction) has also been cast in the film. Perhaps most exciting, it was also confirmed that filming is due to begin in Budapest on March 9. One has to assume that most – if not all – of these young actors will die on film before it’s all said and done. Would it really be a proper Alien movie with too many survivors?
It’s also sort of interesting that the cast is leaning heavily on slightly younger actors while also mostly shying away from any big, expensive A-list stars. Presumably, Disney might be hedging bets financially, given that 2017’s Alien: Covenant underperformed at the box office and was met with a mixed response from general audiences. One assumes this will be a much lower-budget affair. While much remains mysterious about this upcoming entry, 20th Century Studios has provided a very brief synopsis, which reads as follows:
“In this ninth entry in the immensely popular and enduring film series, a group of young people on a distant world find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Alvarez wrote the screenplay with his frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (Don’t Breathe 2). Ridley Scott, who directed the original Alien, is on board as a producer alongside Michael Pruss, with Brent O’Connor (Bullet Train), Elizabeth Cantillon (Persuasion) and Tom Moran (The Donut King) serving as executive producers. Meanwhile, Scott is also producing the upcoming Alien TV series for FX, which is being headed up by Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion). In short, lots to look forward to on this front in the near future.
The new Alien movie does not yet have a release date set.
