There have been a ton of classic horror franchises that have returned in some form over the last number of years. Soon Alien will be joining that frightening list with a film written and directed by Don’t Breathe’s Fede Álvarez. There hasn’t been much news regarding the project since it was reported being in development earlier this year, but now the film looks to have found its star. According to Deadline, Cailee Spaeny is in talks for the lead role in the new installment.

There’s still not much known about the plot of the film, which is set for Hulu, and what kind of tone the project will take on. The franchise has had many identities over the years ranging from the “haunted house” slasher vibe of Ridley Scott’s original to the more action-horror focus of its sequel Aliens directed by James Cameron. However, given Álvarez’s own background, it’s safe to assume that the film would have a primary horror focus. The director has spent the last decade reshaping the horror genre with masterpieces like Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe. He’s even recently produced the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot for Netflix.

Spaeny, on the other hand, may be relatively unknown to general audiences, but she has starred in popular films like The Craft: Legacy, Bad Times at the El Royale, and Pacific Rim Uprising. The actress will also soon be portraying Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla opposite Euphoria's Jacob Elordi who's playing Elvis. Again there’s no word on who Spaeny would be playing, but both the Alien franchise and Álvarez are known for their incredible female characters. Of course there’s no best “final girl” conversation without Ripley being mentioned; the iconic character was played iconically by Sigourney Weaver throughout the Alien franchise.

sigourney weaver as ripley in alien 3

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Álvarez has tapped into Ripley’s trailblazing spirit in both Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe with Mia and Rocky respectively. That’s why it’s going to be exciting to see what the horror director does in the Alien universe. There hasn’t been a shortage of Alien films since the franchise’s conception in 1979. Scott himself recently returning to the series with 2013’s Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant, so Álvarez has a lot of rich history to tap into.

While Spaeny’s involvement in the film is not a done deal yet, she’s been the top choice for a while now and has had several meetings with Álvarez and the producers. We should hear official confirmation soon as 20th Century Studios and Scott Free have made this a top priority. Cameras could even start rolling on the project as soon as early 2023. The dreaded Xenomorphs are returning soon with a TV series on the way as well. Until more is revealed about this next cinematic installment, you can watch the trailer for the original Alien down below.