Get excited folks: principal photography is now complete on a brand new Alien film. Director Ridley Scott’s Prometheus follow-up Alien: Covenant has wrapped filming, marking the occasion by releasing a new set photo featuring Scott and Covenant’s new protagonist, played by Inherent Vice breakout Katherine Waterston.
Described as the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that connects directly to Scott’s iconic 1979 film Alien, Covenant picks up some time after the events of Prometheus as the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise whose sole inhabitant is Michael Fassbender’s David, the “sole survivor” of the Prometheus expedition. We know that Noomi Rapace returns in some capacity, but it’s unclear if that’s in a flashback that reveals why she’s not a main character in this film or if she’s still alive somewhere.
Waterston looks terrific here, and it’s impossible to deny that she’s sporting a look that is very reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver’s hero Ripley. Curious. Very curious. The Inherent Vice actress is joined in the cast by Billy Crudup, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollet, Amy Seimetz, and Danny McBride in a fittingly diverse ensemble for Scott’s Prometheus follow-up.
Given the casting shift and reduced presence of Rapace, it does seem like Scott has changed course quite a bit from his initial plans for Prometheus 2. Before the release of Prometheus, he was talking up the prospect of following Rapace’s Shaw and Fassbender’s David as they set out to discover the home world of the Engineers, with writer Damon Lindelof describing Prometheus as the beginning of a new path in the franchise separate from the Alien series. As development continued, however, it appears that Scott came around to the idea of using this sequel as a way to connect further to the Alien franchise.
Whatever the case, we can be sure a number of surprises are in store for audiences when Alien: Covenant opens in theaters on August 4, 2017. Check out the wrap photo below.
