Fede Alvarez's Alien - What We Know So Far

In space, no one can hear you scream. That said, theaters have remained full of screams for decades as audiences have continuously returned to the "Alien" franchise to terrify them in new and interesting ways. The series, which kicked off in 1979 under the direction of Ridley Scott (working from a script penned by Dan O'Bannon), has seen plenty of ups and downs over the years, but it has continuously managed to elevate the Xenomorph as one of Hollywood's most iconic creatures.

Following the "Alien" series' creation as a sci-fi slasher, the series has since seen numerous incarnations. From the action-horror hybrid of James Cameron's "Aliens," to the heavily philosophical "Alien 3" directed by David Fincher, the Xenomorphs have taken numerous forms under various filmmakers. More recently, Ridley Scott even returned to the franchise in an effort to explore how the origins of the Xenomorphs align with the origins of humanity. With so much iconography and variety embedded in the DNA of the "Alien" franchise, it seems that yet another creative mind in Hollywood — Fede Alvarez — is taking a crack at the sci-fi horror series.

The Hollywood Reporter recently wrote that "Evil Dead" and "Don't Breathe" director Fede Alvarez is going to direct a brand new installment in the "Alien" timeline, with original "Alien" director Ridley Scott set to work behind the scenes as a producer. The new "Alien" installment will forgo a traditional theatrical release and instead head for Hulu as part of the streaming service's initiative to ramp up feature film offerings in the coming years. 

Very little is known about Alvarez's take on the "Alien" franchise, other than the fact that he reportedly has had this pitch in-mind for quite some time and that he sold Scott on the project, based solely on the strength of the pitch alone. The report on the film's announcement also notes that the movie is expected to have a smaller budget than the average modern blockbuster, with 20th Century Films division president Steve Asbell noting that Alvarez is aiming to deliver something more in line with the "genre roots" of "Alien."

As for plot, it has been confirmed that this new "Alien" film will not connect to any previous incarnations of "Alien," making it a standalone property with no connection to Ellen Ripley. Based on this news, it seems that audiences likely will also not get any payoff from the cliffhanger ending to Scott's own "Alien: Covenant," and will instead go on an entirely new (and likely terrifying) adventure. Beyond that, however, the actual plot of the film remains under wraps.