Disney’s New Alien Movie Gets Exciting Updates

In recent years, plans for Disney’s new Alien film have taken many forms. Not only did Ridley Scott have plans for a third prequel film following Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, but Fox was also developing Alien 5 as a possible opportunity to reintroduce Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. These plans changed following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, causing both films to stall in development. Rather than continuing what had come before, Disney and 20th Century Fox hired Fede Álvarez to make the new film after hearing a compelling pitch centered on original characters. The film is said to be unrelated to the previous installments in the franchise.

New Alien movie gets exciting updates

Now, Disney’s Alien film reboot recently received two major updates. Thanks to the Deadline report. According to the report, Pacific Rim: Uprising actress Cailee Spaeny is in talks to play the lead role after becoming the studio’s top choice. It has also been revealed that the studio is so pleased with the current state of the film. Production will begin in early 2023. However, there is no set release date.

The latest updates for Disney’s new film reveal even more details about the film. It confirms that the franchise will continue to feature a female lead. Cailee Spaeny will follow in the footsteps of Sigourney Weaver, Noomi Rapace, and Katherine Waterston. With plans for the new Alien film to begin filming in early 2023, audiences should be able to see it sometime in 2024.

5 Films to watch before the reboot arrives

1. Alien (1979) 

Alien, released in 1979, follows the crew of the Nostromo as they discover a mysterious spaceship on an undiscovered moon. Soon, they are pitted against a lethal alien being that has been unleashed on the Nostromo, with disastrous results. The film also starred Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, and Yaphet Kotto in addition to Weaver. Many consider the film to be one of the best science fiction horror films of all time. And it was a box office success, grossing $78.9 million when it was released.

2. Aliens (1986)

Aliens, a more action-oriented sequel released in 1986, was written and directed by James Cameron. Set in the distant future, Weaver reprised her role as Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. She agrees to return to the location where her crew first encountered the aliens, along with a crew of Colonial Marines, and they, too, are attacked by the extraterrestrials. The film received widespread acclaim and earned Weaver an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

3. Alien: Resurrection(1997)

Alien: Resurrection was the first Alien film to feature a gruesome alien-human hybrid. It takes place 200 years after Alien 3, during which time Ripley is cloned to give birth to a new xenomorph queen while the military breeds and studies the creatures on human hosts. The film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, received mixed reviews upon its initial release. It went on to become the least successful film at the domestic box office, grossing $47.8 million.

4. Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus, the first of Ridley Scott‘s return to Alien films, is a prequel that investigates the origins of the Engineers and the xenomorph creatures themselves. When a group of explorers discovers a clue to the origins of humanity on Earth, the Weyland Corporation funds a mission to send them into the universe’s darkest corners. Once there, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the human race’s future.

5. Alien: Covenant (2017)

Alien: Covenant is the direct sequel to Prometheus and expands on the franchise’s history prior to the original 1979 film. The film picks up immediately after the events of Prometheus, with members of a colony ship discovering what appears to be an unmarked paradise, where they meet David, the android survivor of the Prometheus mission.

The entire movie franchise, except for Alien: Covenant, can be streamed on Hulu. You can also rent or purchase for easy digital viewing at any time from Amazon Prime, Apple, Google Play, Vudu, and Youtube.