Run. Or maybe sit down by the nearest device you can reach with an internet connection, because Fox has just released the first trailer forRidley Scott’sAlien: Covenant. The movie serves as both a sequel toPrometheusand a prequel to the originalAlien, but this appears to be much more of a blood relative to the original sci-fi thriller.
Foxapparently feels very confident about this movie, as they probably should at this point. They recently released the first poster forAlien: Covenant, which boasted the very simple tagline “run,” and featured aXenomorphcloaked in shadow, but just visible enough to inspire a few nightmares, along with equal amounts of excitement. Following the debut of the poster, the studio decided to give us the trailer we’ve all been waiting for. Not only that, but the studio was so confident inAlien: Covenantthat they decided to bump up the release of the movie by nearly three months, which means it will now be dropping in May, instead of on July 18, 2025. That puts it right in the heart of the summer movie season.
Alien: Covenantmarks a return to theAlien franchise, it appears in a much more proper way, for directorRidley Scott. He helmed the originalAlien, which was released in 1979 and remains one of the most respected and beloved sci-fi movies ever made. He returned to the franchise in 2012 forPrometheus, but the movie was met with mixed reception from fans and critics and didn’t have as much connective tissue to the original as many expected. The poster and title alone forAlien: Covenantpromises that this movie will not be a repeat ofPrometheus. This first trailer should also offer fans some more assurance.
It is pretty rare for a movie studio to bump up the release for a movie by three months, but not all that long ago it was revealed byMichael FassbenderthatRidley Scottalready had a cut of the movie ready. AssumingAlien: Covenantdidn’t need significant reshoots, which certainly seems like the case, it actually makes sense for Fox to want to release the movie sooner rather than later. If the movie is done, why wait? Not only will fans get to see the movie earlier, but it will now be positioned for a primetime summer release. It will be competing withAnnabelle 2and the newBaywatchmovie, which starsDwayne JohnsonandZac Efron, but that shouldn’t be a problem. It seems hard to believe either of those movies will be competing for the same audience asAlien: Covenant, so Fox may be looking at a major hit here, assuming the movie delivers on the promise.
Most of the crew didn’t make it out ofPrometheusalive, so the only returning characters for this next entry will beMichael Fassbenderas David (as well as another android named Walter) andNoomi Rapaceas Elizabeth, but she isn’t expected to have a huge role in the movie. The rest of the new cast includesDemian Bichir,Katherine Waterston,Danny McBrideandBilly Crudup. This movie may have putNeill Blomkamp’sAlien 5on hold, but it seems like that may have been worth it, at least for now.Alien: Covenantis set for release onMay 19, 2017. Be sure to check out the first trailer for yourself below.
