The highest-grossing film in the Alien franchise proves there's still a Xenomorph story to be told

Prometheus is the highest-grossing entry in the Foreigner franchise – but there is one story that was never properly completed. The original Foreigner The films are unique from the modern standard in that none of the Ripley era stories ever created a direct sequel. Each entry had a conclusive ending, with Alien 3 going so far as to kill Sigourney Weaver's Ripley. When Ridley Scott returned to the estate with Prometheushe wanted to launch a new sci-fi saga for himself, with both the prequel and 2012 sequel Alien: Alliance ending in great moments of anguish.

The response to Scott's duology was generally mixed, with the scripts for both being criticized for their illogical character choices and lack of focus on the titular creatures. Scott's vision for the franchise was abandoned, with the 2024 sequel Romulo gently rebooting the series and taking it in a new direction. Alien: Romulus'The ending hints at possible future adventures for new protagonists Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and Andy (David Jonsson) and a sequel appears to be in the works – that also means the series will not solve Scott's problem Prometheus story coming soon.

Prometheus is the highest-grossing alien film, but its story was never completed

Anticipation was high for Scott's 2012 Alien prequel

Scott was absent from Foreigner series and the scientific genre for almost 30 years, when Prometheus arrived in theaters. The trailers and previews did a masterful job building up the excitement and featured an incredible cast, including Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, and Guy Pearce in supporting roles. The hype driven Prometheus for worldwide gross sales of US$400 million (through Mojo Box Office); Adjusted for inflation, the prequel is second only to the original Foreigner.

PrometheusThe emotional ending also set up the Engineer saga, where the android David (Michael Fassbender) and Noomi Rapace's Dr. Shaw flew to meet humanity's creators. Covenant changed the protagonist of that story, with Shaw being killed off-screen and Fassbender's David being driven by his quest to exterminate humanity with his “perfect” creation, the Xenomorph. The sequel ended with an even bigger tease, with David planning to use the colonists in suspended animation for his ongoing experiments. with the black goo.

This, of course, was creating a third Foreigner prequel, which would have been dubbed Awakening. Plot details were released about how this entry would play out, including the vengeful Engineers chasing David. This third film would have turned Fassbender's character into an android Dr. Moreauand was also set to replace the Xenomorph with David as the franchise's new villain.

Alien: Covenant's Disappointing Box Office Explains Why A Third Prequel Never Happened

Covenant's box office was well below Prometheus

During the promotion for Alien: AllianceScott was actively talking about his plans for future entries; even suggesting that there were at least two more films on the way. Alliance Box office gross killed Scott's plan quicklywith the critically controversial release grossing just over $240 million. While not exactly disastrous, it was a significant drop Prometheus and signaled that the public wasn't on board about where Scott was headed next.

This is a shame in a sense, as even those who didn't like it Covenant tend to admit that it ends with a really exciting cliffhanger. Another installment to wrap up David's arc would have been ideal, with the Foreigner prequels featuring some of Fassbender's best work as an artist. The studio didn't see it that way and likely questioned the logic of greenlighting another Scott prequel when critical and audience response to the previous two had been lukewarm at best.

Alien: Romulus' $350 Million Success Means Disney Made the Right Decision with the Franchise

Alien: Awakening could still happen someday

Although not classic, Alien: Romulus restored the public's faith in the science fiction property. It was a little over the top with easter eggs and callbacks, but it was also a stripped-down, spooky ride that featured a stellar performance from David Jonsson. Romulo worked exactly as intended, gently restarting a series that had been stalled and reminding the audience why they loved it Foreigner in the first place. It was also confirmation, if one were needed, that producers were right to abandon plans to Alien: Awakening.

Where the franchise goes next is the big question. Romulo features Ripley easter eggs that suggest some sort of midquel could be on the way, though this could go horribly wrong unless approached with extreme caution. It would probably be best to move on from Ripley altogether – especially if Weaver doesn't return. It should be noted that Alien: Romulus did not completely abandon the Prometheus story, with the Engineers' DNA rewriting the black goo playing a role in the narrative.

As he is still a producer on the series Scott's unused plans for Awakening could find their way to Alien: Romulus 2. It would be great to get some resolution to David's story, but the 2024 sequel did the right thing by straying from Scott's original plans. The prequels told an ambitious story and featured great concepts and visuals, but the substance of the story was often lacking. Films needed to get their groove back – and Alien: Romulus accomplished exactly that task.

Source: Mojo Box Office