Fede Alvarez, who reinvigorated the "Alien" franchise on the big screen last year with "Alien: Romulus," won't be returning for the sequel, he revealed. Speaking toTooFab, Alvarez said he will stay on as a producer for the "Alien: Romulus" sequel, but he and franchise creator Ridley Scott will search for a new director. More from Variety Happy Alien Day! Limited 'Alien: Romulus' Suite EP to Get Vinyl Treatment for Terrifying Holiday (EXCLUSIVE) How the 'Alien: Romulus' VFX Team United Old and New Technology to Bring Ian Holm's Android to Life How Oscar-Nominated VFX Teams Created Alien Animatronics, Wicked Worlds and More "We just finished the script, actually, for a sequel for 'Romulus.' But I'm going to pass the torch on this one as director," he told TooFab. "I'm going to produce it, with Ridley Scott. We're going to produce it together and we're right now trying to find a new filmmaker to come in." Scott directed the original classic "Alien" in 1979 before passing the reins to James Cameron for its beloved sequel, "Aliens" in 1986. The franchise recruited David Fincher for 1992's "Alien 3" and Jean-Pierre Jeunet for "Alien Resurrection" in 1997. Then, the "Alien vs. Predator" movies took detours with directors Paul W.S. Anderson and Greg and Colin Strause for the first "AVP" and "Alien vs. Predator: Requiem," respectively. Scott returned in the 2010s for the prequels "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant." "That's usually what has happened, except for Ridley. Filmmakers come, you make one and you pass the baton to the next one," Alvarez said. "But we wrote the story because we really love what we started with 'Romulus' and we want to continue the story. We love the story and now we just want to find a director that really wants to go for the jugular." "Alien: Romulus" was a hit with critics and fans alike, as the first "Alien" movie since "Covenant" in 2017. It made $351 million at the worldwide box office. Alvarezrevealedearlier this summer that he was in pre-production on the sequel and filming was expected to begin in October. Right now, "Alien" has taken over TV with Noah Hawley's FX/Hulu series "Alien: Earth," a prequel taking place in the years before the original "Alien." Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Samsung, Sonos, Criterion Collection Among Top Brands on Sale for Labor Day - See Running List Here Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.
