Prometheuspromised a prequel story to theAlienfranchise, and while this may never be concluded, the series' future looks more promising. When concerning theranking ofAlienmovies,Prometheusand its sequel,Alien: Covenant, are not often considered among the best installments. Nonetheless, both movies have accrued somewhat of a cult following over the years, with many wishing to see how a third prequel film would completeAlien’s franchise timelineby tying them to the original 1979 movie.
However,PrometheusandAlien: Covenantwere not financially successful, resulting in a change of direction for the franchise. Thebox office success ofAlien: Romulus, released in 2024, solidified this course correction.Alien: Romulustakes place between the first and secondAlienmovies, loosely tying the plot threads of Ridley Scott’s prequels to the original continuity in place of a third film. With a newfuture for theAlienfranchisenow firmly in place, it seems as though the story teased byPrometheuswill never be fully finished, but that may mean something more exciting is on the horizon.
The Alien Franchise Is In A Much Better Place Now Than During Prometheus & Covenant
The Future Looks Incredibly Exciting
As already alluded to, theAlienfranchise is in a better place now than it was in the 2010s. WhilePrometheusandAlien: Covenantcertainly have their fans, there is no denying that they were divisive to the wider audience, as evidenced by their disappointing box office returns. This, combined with uncertainty about where the franchise would head and what Ridley Scott had planned, meant that theAlienfranchise was in a sense of limbo with movies only coming out as and when Scott deemed it.
Now, though,Alienlooks set to continue in a big way. A sequel toAlien: Romulusis in development, which director Fede Álvarez hopes to begin production on in 2025. Then there is thestory ofAlien: Earth, a 2025 TV show that acts as yet another prequel to 1979’sAlien. Both of these projects are set to continue theAlienfranchise in an exciting way, and that is not to mention two more teases that hint at a big former crossover happening once more, the first coming in the trailer for 2025’sPredator: Badlands.
In this trailer, Elle Fanning’s character is spotted rolling her eyes back into her head as David Jonsson’s Andy did inAlien: Romulus. This, combined with the hint of the logo ofAlien’s Weyland-Yutani Corporation, seems to confirm that anotherPredatorcrossover is happening. This was teased by the head of 20th Century Studios in 2024 also, promising an even more exciting future for theAlienfranchise beyond mainline stories.
I Wish We Saw The Conclusion Of David’s Story, But Alien’s Future Is More Exciting
Alien Has Never Been In Better Shape
Personally, I was always a fan ofPrometheusandAlien: Covenant. I have always liked stories that take established franchises and turn them on their head, giving more complex answers to mysteries that fans have speculated on for a while.PrometheusandAlien: Covenantdid exactly this via the story of David and I, for one, would have loved to see his story conclude in a thirdAlienprequel film. That said, I can also acknowledge just how excitingAlien’s future is now.
If the firstAlienmovie produced after Disney’s 20th Century Fox acquisition was a flop, it could have put an end to the franchise…
After all, I have already alluded toPrometheusandAlien: Covenantbeing more divisive and box office failures. If the firstAlienmovie produced after Disney’s 20th Century Fox acquisition was a flop, it could have put an end to the franchise completely.Alien: Romulusavoided that, taking the franchise somewhat back to basics in a way that resonated with fans while setting up promising stories in the future. Alongside the teases of anotherPredatorcrossover,Alien’s future is more exciting than ever, regardless of wheterPrometheus' story comes to fruition.
