• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

Interview: Ridley Scott on revisiting the Alien franchise with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant

January 3, 2017 by Thomas Roach

Speaking with us at the press junket for Taboo which airs this weekend on BBC One, director Ridley Scott opened up about what we can expect in Alien: Covenant and why he returned to the franchise he launched back in 1979.

“When I saw Alien finally succumb after four films, which was a good run, then they also did Alien vs. Predator, after which I thought, ‘Uh-oh, that’s it’ – then I waited a couple of years, I went back and decided to resurrect it,” he said. “No-one actually asked where [the aliens] came from in the three subsequent movies, which is kind of ridiculous. That’s why good writers are good writers, they’ll ask a basic question like that and make that into a scenario.”

Scott wanted to go back and really explore the origins of the xenomorphs, adding that, “We did Prometheus – that heaved it off the ground, and Covenant is a follow-through to Prometheus. We now know who created this, and why, and the next one’s a joining up of the storyline.” Scott told us that the story of Alien: Covenant “touches on mortality, immortality and the real question of who created us and why.”

Scott then went on to reveal that both Prometheus and Covenant are inspired by his personal beliefs about where we came from: “We’re not just a random biological accident, For you and I to be sitting here right now [by accident] would take trillions of correct decisions made randomly by nature, which of course is ridiculous. I think there’s some kind of decision being made. I believe in a higher force – if we want to call it God, then it’s God.”

SEE ALSO: Ridley Scott on why he’s never directed a superhero movie

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in ALIEN with ALIEN: COVENANT, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with PROMETHEUS — and connects directly to Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. 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 (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

Alien: Covenant is set for release on May 19th, 2017 and is penned by Michael Green, Jack Paglen and John Logan. Prometheus stars Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace return alongside new cast additions Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), Danny McBride (Eastbound & Down), Demian Bichir (A Better Life), Billy Crudup (Watchmen), Jussie Smollett (Empire), Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color), Benjamin Rigby (That’s Not Me), Callie Hernandez (Machete Kills) and James Franco (Why Him?).

Filed Under: Articles and Opinions, Exclusives, Interviews, Movies, News, Thomas Roach Tagged With: Alien, Alien: Covenant, Prometheus, Ridley Scott

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

8 Essential Feel-Good British Underdog Movies

Johnnie To, Hong Kong Cinema’s Modern Master

The Essential Films of John Woo

10 Great 1980s Sci-Fi Adventure Movies

Ten Action Sequels The World Needs To See

How Will Quentin Tarantino Bow Out?

The Shining at 45: The Story Behind Stanley Kubrick’s Psychological Horror Masterpiece

Great Cult 90s Horror Movies You Have To See

Godzilla Minus One and the Essential Toho Godzilla Movies

Forgotten 90s Action Movies That Deserve a Second Chance

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

Movie Review – The Shrouds (2025)

Comic Book Preview – Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes & Rivals

Back to the Future at 40: The Story Behind the Pop Culture Touchstone

8 Great Tarantino-esque Movies You Need To See

Movie Review – Hot Milk (2025)

Movie Review – Heads of State (2025)

Movie Review – The Old Guard 2 (2025)

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

The Must-See Horror Movies From Every Decade

10 Essential Action Movies from 2005

Ten Great Comeback Performances

Eli Roth: Ranking the Films of the Horror Icon

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket