Alien: covenant

Prometheus’s survivors go to meet their makers

What’s in a name?

Sir Ridley Scott’s Prometheus sequel finally admits it’s really an Alien prequel. In fact, Scott’s confirmed that Alien: Covenant (previously Paradise Lost) is the second of a trilogy that will result in a certain croissant-shaped ship crashing on LV-426 and giving John Hurt an upset tummy.

head hunters

We’ll be rejoining the disembodied head of mildly treacherous astrodroid David (Michael Fassbender) and (we’re guessing, though this is yet to be officially confirmed) Dr Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), last seen plotting a course to the Engineers’ home planet, to find out why those big bald “gods” have it in for the human race. There are plans to ensure that David’s “immobile noggin” status doesn’t cause a drag on the action – we’re hoping Dalek, but a JARVIS-like commentary is more likely.

Fresh meat

Shaw and David aren’t the only things on the menu though. The film will follow the crew of the colony ship Covenant. Bound for a planet on the far side of the galaxy, they discover what they think is an uncharted paradise, only to realised that it’s actually a dark, dangerous world. No, not Pontins, Prestatyn, but a planet whose sole inhabitant is David. Question is, what’s he done with Shaw? And while this band of intergalactic wanderers is not officially Weyland-Yutani sponsored, we doubt it’s a coincidence they meet.

meeting the makers

The Miltonesque title that the film previously had (Alien: Paradise Lost) suggested that things have all gone a bit splatty in “heaven”. Shaw, David and the crew of the Covenant arrive at the Engineers’ planet looking for answers only to discover that mankind’s creators’ appalling arsenal has been misfired with rather horrible results. But while the locals have been decimated, the new food-chain toppers are eager to show any tourists the best dining spots…

the bitch is back?

Not quite. As with Prometheus, these bio-mechanical weapons are distant cousins of your classic Alien, so expect them for the most part to have that same feel of familiarbut-different. But Covenant will start exploring exactly how and why the more famous brand of xenomorph was created, so expect to see a peek of that iconic double jaw.

ripley returns?

Sir Riddles has let slip that he’s thrown in a reference to Ellen Ripley. Fans hoping for a Sigourney Weaver cameo should unsticky their palms though – we’d bet on this being nothing more than a familiar surname on the travellers’ crew log: anyone thinking a badass space momma?

Five alive

Covenant goes into production before the Neill Blomkamp-directed Alien V. Ripley will turn up here very much alive, along with Michael Biehn’s returning Hicks, but don’t expect any crossover with Covenant – it will likely be taking its cues from James Cameron: this time it really will

be war.

When to expect it

Alien: Covenant will attach itself to faces on 6

October 2017.