Fox has hired director Neil Blomkamp (District 9) to develop a new movie in the Alien franchise. The director took to Instagram today to make his involvement with the long-rumored project official, after he put the rumors to bed just two months ago.
All we currently know about the movie is that it will be separate from Prometheus 2, the second film in Ridley Scott’s prequel series. There’s no telling if it will be a sequel to the last film in the franchise, 1997’s Alien Resurrection, or if it will take place before the original Alien but long after Prometheus.
Also absent from the announcement was whether Ripley herself, Sigourney Weaver, will be involved with the project. In a recent MTV interview promoting Blomkamp’s upcoming film Chappie, Weaver said she was very intrigued by some concept art Blomkamp showed her for another film in the franchise, including this one that was also posted to Blomkamp’s Instagram.
Blomkamp’s latest, Chappie, will be in theaters March 6. We’ll have more on the Alien franchise as it develops.