While it was set within the Alien universe, Ridley Scott's 2012 hit Prometheus was only loosely connected to the story of his 1979 sci-fi horror classic. This won't be the case with the follow-up however. Scott has given his clearest indication yet that Alien: Covenant will be a direct prequel to Alien.

　　In an interview with The Wrap, Scott spoke about what fans could expect from the next film. "Well, really it's Alien," he admitted. "They're going to go to the planet where the engineers came from, and come across the evolving creature that they had made. Why did they make it? Why would they make such a terrifying beast? It felt bio-mechanoid, it felt like a weapon. And so the movie will explain that, and reintroduce the alien back into it."

　　More specifically, Scott revealed that all the incarnations of the Alien would feature in the movie. "There was always this discussion: Is Alien, the character, the beast, played out or not? We'll have them all: egg, facehugger, chestburster, then the big boy. I think maybe we can go another round or two."

　　Last month, Scott stated that there would indeed be three more films in the series. "I'm now going to the next one, which is the next evolution directly connected with the first one'" he told The Hollywood Reporter. "When that's finished there'll be another one and then another one which will gradually drive into the back entrance of the film in 1979.

　　"So in other words, why was this space jockey there and why did he have an alien inside him? And those questions will be answered."

　　Originally, two Alien films were going to be made over the next few years--Alien: Convenant, and Alien 5, directed by District 9's Neill Blomkamp. However, Blomkamp has since confirmed that his film is on hold.

　　Alien: Covenant will begin shooting in Australia next year, and is scheduled for an October 2017 release.