Ridley Scott thinks there's still 'a lot of mileage' in the 'Alien' franchise

Alien director Sir Ridley Scott thinks there’s still “a lot of mileage” left in the 40-year-old franchise.

Scott helmed the original 1979 classic and later returned to make 2012 prequel Prometheus, as well as its sequel Alien: Covenant in 2017.

A follow-up remains in the works, with Scott still reportedly attached to direct, but the Fox-Disney merger has slowed down the process.

Read more: Scott praises high school Alien play

The 82-year-old director has told the LA Times he believes there’s still more story to tell.

“I still think there’s a lot of mileage in Alien, but I think you’ll have to now re-evolve,” he said.

Scott added: “What I always thought when I was making it, the first one, why would a creature like this be made and why was it travelling in what I always thought was a kind of war-craft, which was carrying a cargo of these eggs?

“What was the purpose of the vehicle and what was the purpose of the eggs? That’s the thing to question — who, why, and for what purpose is the next idea, I think.”

Read more: James Cameron on how Alien franchise went wrong

Both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant received mixed reviews from film critics and Covenant also struggled at the box office, earning just $241m (£193m) worldwide — around half of what Prometheus managed.

Scott, however, appears to be sticking to his previously stated notion that there will be two further sequels to Covenant before it links up with Alien.

The director, meanwhile, has a packed dance card away from bloodthirsty xenomorphs that shows he’s willing to keep very busy indeed, even in his eighties.

He is currently mid-shoot on historical story The Last Duel, which was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more: Matt Damon isolating in Ireland after The Last Duel delay

There’s also persistent discussion of a potential sequel to Gladiator, with Connie Nielsen recently stating that the long-gestating project is still alive.