Fox has clarified there’s currently no movement on a new Alien movie or a sequel to video game Alien: Isolation. The Alien franchise will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2019, and Fox is preparing a number of projects to mark the event. They recently announced mobile title Alien: Blackout, which will continue the stressful adventures of Ripley’s daughter Amanda. Amanda was the main character in acclaimed 2014 video game Alien: Isolation, where she was stranded on a decaying space station with a nasty xenomorph. The game’s unrelenting challenge and tension made it a fan favorite.

Amanda Ripley will have a busy year in 2019 because, in addition to appearing in Blackout, she’ll also return for comic book series Alien: Resistance and a novelization of Isolation. This year will also see the release of a new documentary dubbed Memory – The Origins Of Alien, which will explore the development of the original movie, and Fox will unveil a series of six short fan films set in the universe too. There are also unconfirmed reports an Alien TV series is in development at a streaming service.

Related: Alien TV Series Reportedly Picked Up By A Streaming Service

Social media accounts teased the universe of Alien was set to expand in 2019 and that Amanda Ripley would play a major role, leading some fans to hope a sequel to Isolation – or possibly a movie - was happening. This led to some disappointment that Blackout would be a mobile-only title, and now 20th Century Fox’s FoxNext has clarified to Variety that the game isn’t in any way teasing a new Alien movie or an Isolation sequel.

The alien from the game Alien Isolation

It’s not really a surprise a new Alien movie isn’t in development, as the series is likely on hold until Disney acquires the property from Fox later this year. The most recent instalment of the franchise – 2017's Alien: Covenant – was met with a mixed critical and financial reception, and while director Ridley Scott announced plans for a sequel dubbed Awakening, that seems unlikely to happen now. It’s somewhat disappointing to hear there are still no plans for an Isolation sequel, which is probably the best thing that’s come out of the franchise in the last 5 years.

That said, it’s exciting to see Amanda Ripley’s adventures in the Alien universe will continue. It also recently came to light that an alternate ending to The Predator featured the return of Ellen Ripley. This ending teased a sequel that would crossover between the Alien and Predator franchises, but given Sigourney Weaver’s noted distaste for the Alien Vs Predator movies, it feels unlikely she would have agreed to return had this ending actually been used. The ending also did nothing to explain how the character seemingly travelled back in time to appear in the present day.

Source: Variety