Brian Duffield tapped to write the next Alien movie for 20th Century Studios

Look, there are so many Alien projects on the go lately it’s becoming a bit of a hall of mirrors, isn’t it? But here’s something—by all accounts, Brian Duffield, the bloke behind Whalefall and No One Will Save You, is apparently scribbling away at a brand new Alien film for 20th Century Studios.

Brian Duffield Jumps Into the Alien Nest

So, what’s actually happening? Daniel Richtman first kicked things off with the rumour that Duffield’s writing a new Alien project, and Jeff Sneider came out with the same story on The Hot Mic. When rumours start popping up from multiple directions, you have to assume there’s probably something there.

Officially, Duffield’s name is floating around as the writer. Whether he’ll end up directing it as well is anyone’s guess—at the minute, nothing’s set in stone on that front.

20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell decided to have a bit of fun with the rumour mill, popping up on social media with the post: "Who?" Hardly definitive, but don’t be fooled—he was clearly taking the mick, as he’s got previous working with Duffield across Whalefall and No One Will Save You. He even tagged Duffield in something just last week, so don’t read too much into the banter.

Hang On—What’s Going On With Romulus?

If you’re trying to keep track, the Alien saga isn’t exactly straightforward right now. Alien: Romulus landed in 2024 and did the business at the box office, so naturally they moved quickly into developing a sequel. Fede Álvarez, who steered Romulus, made it clear he’s not directing the next one, even though he’s sticking around as a producer with Ridley Scott. The quote from Álvarez—just to clear it up:

"We just finished the script, actually, for a sequel for Romulus. But I’m gonna pass the torch on this one as director. I’m going to produce it, with Ridley Scott, we’re gonna produce it together, and we’re right now trying to find a new filmmaker to come in."

Not out of the picture entirely though—Álvarez co-wrote the script with his usual writing partner, Rodo Sayagues, so his fingerprints are still on it. As for who might take the reins, Michael Sarnoski (The Death of Robin Hood) is apparently in the running, but nothing has been inked yet.

What’s Duffield up to now?

Duffield’s next release is Whalefall, which basically answers the question: ‘What if Pinocchio but considerably more traumatic?’ The premise is wild—Austin Abrams plays a young diver desperately searching for his dad’s remains, somehow gets swallowed by a sperm whale and has an hour to escape. It’s adapted from Daniel Kraus’s novel, with both Kraus and Duffield sharing script duties.

• Austin Abrams (Weapons) as the lead scuba diver
• Elisabeth Shue (The Karate Kid)
• Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men)
• John Ortiz (The Madness)
• Jane Levy (Evil Dead)
• Emily Rudd (Fear Street Part Two: 1978)

The teaser trailer was genuinely tense—proper survival horror, claustrophobic and oddly aquatic. Mark your calendars if you’re into that sort of thing: Whalefall is slated to hit UK cinemas on 16 October.