It seems the beast is not done – nor cooked – after all.
During the 2019 CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, the Powers That Be over at Disney announced plans to continue the Alien franchise following the acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its lucrative assets. Yes, there’s a new Disney queen in town – the only difference being that the Xenomorph spews acid and slithers around its environment like a monstrous snake.
But no matter, for the Mouse House still intends to release future Alien movies in the very near future. It’s not the only movie franchise set to receive a new lease of life, though. During CinemaCon, Disney confirmed that Kingsman, Maze Runner and Planet of the Apes are all on the calling card. Ditto for Avatar, though we know James Cameron already has 45 – okay, four – sequels lined up for his sci-fi spectacle.
Via Twitter:
Alien and Planet of the Apes sound like they’re still in play at Disney, as they were highlighted onscreen at CinemaCon as franchises they are actively continuing to develop.
— Exhibitor Relations Co. (@ERCboxoffice) April 3, 2019
And here’s another tweet, fresh out of CinemaCon:
Disney confirmed #Alien is one of the franchises they are actively continuing during their #CinemaCon presentation! @AlienAnthology pic.twitter.com/98zWVqlAp8
— Nicholas Whitcomb (@Whos_Nick) April 3, 2019
That’s not to say that the Alien franchise has been dead in the water ever since the release – and subsequent failure – of Covenant; Fox recently launched a series of eerie short films to expand the universe, and each is more terrifying than the last. The debut episode is called Containment, and follows “four survivors who find themselves stranded aboard a small escape pod in deep space.” How very Alien.
Look for the next installment to debut tomorrow, April 5th, culminating with the release of Alien: Harvest on April 26th – day and date with a little-known Marvel movie called Avengers: Endgame.
But getting back to the Alien series and it seems Disney fully intends to continue what is undoubtedly one of cinema’s greatest franchises. Will this revival pave the way for Sigourney Weaver to make a triumphant return? Time will tell.