Michael Fassbender is currently in Sydney, Australia filming the Prometheus sequel, Alien: Covenant and during his time there, has also been promoting the upcoming X-Men Apocalypse film as well as Assassin's Creed. While attending a few press junkets, Fassbender opened up about the magnitude and exciting elements present throughout Alien: Covenant! He confirmed that Covenant will include multiple Aliens coming out of people and a more familiar aesthetic, similar to that of the original Alien film. Read on for excerpts from his latest interview with the Inquirer!
Like Prometheus, Covenant will feature some remarkable sets. But unlike Prometheus, this sequel will put a much higher emphasis on the Alien and the people who unfortunately get caught in its path:
There are going to be great sets and aliens coming out of people. It’s amazing to watch Ridley work. I try to soak up as much knowledge as I can from him, because having worked on this kind of films a few times and having seen how many moving parts there are, how many people work on the set and how many departments need attention and the language, he’s an absolute master.
Multiple Aliens were already a given though, after Ridley Scott announced he planned to re-invent the Facehugger, Chestburster and Alien in a past interview. But, another interesting note Fassbender touched upon was the general look and feel of the film. Unlike Prometheus' crisp, clean look, he insinuates that Alien: Covenant will harken back to the times of 1979's Alien and Blade Runner - adding that the aesthetic of the sets are more 'primitive' looking when paired with the more advanced technology:
The sets are fantastic. Again, the most impressive sets I’ve seen since ‘Prometheus,’ which was the original setting. It’s a fantastic mixture of high-end technology and primitive elements. The way that I can explain it is the same way that Ridley did ‘Blade Runner. You have this futuristic world where people are eating noodles, because that seems to be the cheaper food and something that will fill you up. But it’s also something that harks back to the past. The weaving of those two things—past and future—together makes for an interesting world that we can aspire to, but also recognize something in it.
This, of course suggests that the Covenant vessel is not the same class, nor as advanced as the Prometheus was. Fans of the original Alien will enjoy the degraded aesthetic as it will match that of Alien and Aliens more closely.
It's exciting to hear more about Alien: Covenant, while filming takes place behind closed doors at Sydney's Fox Studios. The fact that the film will see multiple Alien creatures ties closely with early reports we received about the film's plot direction. If true, we know David will play a key role in one of the Alien's creations. But, until more information is released, we'll continue to treat those assumptions as pure speculation. It's also exciting to know that the aesthetic of the sets and technology will coincide with that of the original Alien movie.
Alien: Covenant touches down on August 4th of next year. Expect plenty more updates to surface over the coming months! As these updates do arrive, you can be sure to find them first, here on Scified!
The Alien: Romulus sequel is currently in development and cameras are set to roll by October, 2025! Be sure to bookmark the Alien: Romulus 2 Info Page for an up-to-date account of all available information, production updates and important details! You can also share any news & rumours we may have missed by starting your own discussion in our forums!
In addition to the upcoming Alien: Romulus sequel, we have the Alien: Earth TV series from Noah Hawley arriving this August and a rumoured Alien vs. Predator reboot in the works as well after it was revealed Weyland-Yutani play a key role in the upcoming Predator: Badlands movie! There's really never been a better time to be a fan of the Alien movies. Be sure to check out our image galleries for the latest images, posters, concept art and leaked materials for all these upcoming Alien projects!