Ridley Scott Says Neill Blomkamps' Alien 5 Is Dead

Fans of the Alien franchise are excited to see Alien: Covenant hit theaters in a few weeks, [...]

By Kofi Outlaw - May 2, 2017 11:59 am EDT

Fans of the Alien franchise are excited to see Alien: Covenant hit theaters in a few weeks, bringing the franchise back to the roots of Ridley Scott's original Alien film, with a sci-fi survival horror tale that's full of blood, gore, and fright.

However, Alien: Covenant's path to theaters will always be remembered for the way it bulldozed through early plans for District 9 director Neil Blomkamp to helm Alien 5, a direct sequel to James Cameron's Aliens, which would've brought back Sigourney Weaver and actor Michael Biehn. There are many fans who are still holding out hope for Blomkamp to make Alien 5 - but according to a new report, Alien 5 could be on indefinite hold.

Alien 5 is Dead...

THR has quotes from Ridley Scott himself, taken from an interview with France's Allocine, in which the director suggested that Alien 5 is dead. "There was never a script," Scott said. "It was an idea that evolved from, I believe, a 10-page pitch, and I was meant to be part of the producers on that. It didn't evolve. Fox decided that they didn't want to do it and that was it. I'd already done 'Prometheus' and I was planning 'Covenant', so I dunno."

He went on to say that he doesn't believe the project is going to be restarted, which is exactly the kind of death knell that will frustrate fans hoping for the Alien franchise to get some bold new creative direction. It also puts even more pressure on Ridley Scott to deliver with Alien: Covenant, after the missteps of Prometheus.

If Alien: Covenant fails to impress, then Blomkamp's Alien 5 could be back on, with enough fan support. After all the AVP movies and Prometheus disappointment, the fanbase doesn't have that much patience left.

In Alien: Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world — whose sole inhabitant is the "synthetic" David, survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

Alien: Covenant stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England and Benjamin Rigby.

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