Isabela Merced Joins 20th Century Studios’ ‘Alien’ Movie

20th Century Studios is reteaming with their Rosaline star Isabela Merced for the studio’s newest Alien movie, Deadline has confirmed.

Merced is set to lead the project with the previously announced Cailee Spaeny (How It Ends). Don’t Breathe director Fede Alvarez is directing and Ridley Scott’s production banner Scott Free producing. 

The new movie will see the iconic ferocious race of alien beings called Xenomorphs will be front and center again reigning terror against the humans that cross their paths. The studio and Scott Free made this project one of their top priorities following a pitch from Alvarez. The hope is to get the film released next year.

The Alien franchise, which consists of six movies and two spinoffs (with the predator), has had its ups and downs both financially and critically. 20th Century Studios’ last effort, the Ridley Scott-directed Alien Covenant grossed over $240 million in 2017. Disney has been in various stages of getting a series off the ground for FX with no real movement in the last few months and it is unknown if the series will movie forward.

While not confirmed, it is rumored that this Alien movie is being developed for Hulu, which saw success with 2022’s surprise Predator movie Prey.