UPDATE: The images have been removed at the request of the studio.
Few movie monsters hold a candle to H.R. Giger’s Xenomorph – its mechanical, surreal biology, elongated skull and acid blood all combine to form a creature that is practically steeped in nightmare fuel, and it’s little wonder that the Alien has become a cornerstone of horror cinema since its inception back in the ’70s.
But with the advent of Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott’s buzzworthy follow-up to Prometheus, it seems Giger’s putrid creation is in line for a small overhaul, as today’s batch of spoiler-sensitive images attest. Hailing from SoIsItAnyGood.com (via CBM), in the gallery above you’ll be able to take a peek at the Xenomorph in its various biological stages – from facehugger all the way up to the iconic Alien. There’s even a shot of what we assume to be a Alien-like telescope/navigation beacon. Could it be housing another Space Jockey?
As you can see, these aren’t your traditional Xenomorphs. The jawline and teeth appear to more human-esque than before, which could align with rumors suggesting Michael Fassbender’s synthetic David has been playing God, dabbling with the extra-terrestrial DNA (black goo, essentially) to manufacture a new breed of alien terror. Indeed, during a recent interview, Fassbender appeared to let slip that these new monsters are called Neomorphs.
AvPGalaxy provides some context here, but take it with how many pinches of salt as you like: “These spores infect several members of the Covenant crew by entering the body through the ear and nostrils … One of the Neomorphs bursts from the back of one of the infected crew, a “backburster.” The other crewmember’s Neomorph erupts through their throat.”
All will be revealed when Alien: Covenant slithers into theaters on August 4, 2017. Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Billy Crudup and Demian Bichir are among the cast.