While you could make the argument that there’s no real need for the Alien franchise to continue over 40 years since Ridley Scott launched the long-running property with his all-time classic sci-fi horror – especially with Disney now calling the shots through its 20th Century Studios subsidiary – we’re getting at least two new projects regardless.
Legion and Fargo creator Noah Hawley is beavering away on his episodic series that marks the first story in the saga to unfold on Earth, while The Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe director Fede Álvarez is overseeing a feature film designed as existing separately from both the original quartet starring Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, as well as Scott’s prequels Prometheus and Covenant.
Going by the working title of Alien: Romulus, Caliee Spaeny was announced to be playing the lead role in November of last year, with Dora the Explorer herself Isabela Merced the latest notable addition to the ensemble. As you can imagine, fans had a field day with the news.
Merced may only be 21 years old, but she’s got plenty of big budget and effects-heavy experience under her belt through Transformers: The Last Knight, the aforementioned Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Jason Momoa’s Netflix actioner Sweet Girl, and Sony’s impending Spider-Man spinoff Madame Web.
Forget Alien vs. Predator, it’s Alien vs. Dora that’s on everyone’s lips, and you can bet the memes will start flowing imminently.