20th Century Studios is developing a new Alien movie, and it has hired Aaron Guzikowski to write the script.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news first. Deadline later confirmed the hiring and described the film as a fresh entry in the series.

Reports say the project is separate from Alien: Romulus, the 2024 film by Fede Alvarez, even though a Romulus sequel had been discussed.

Ridley Scott, who directed the original Alien in 1979, is producing the new film through his company, Scott Free.

Guzikowski wrote the 2013 thriller Prisoners for Denis Villeneuve. He also created the HBO Max series Raised by Wolves, which Scott executive produced.

The studio has not named a director or cast. There is no release date yet, and the plot is still under wraps.

The series began in 1979. James Cameron's Aliens followed in 1986, then Alien 3 in 1992 and Alien Resurrection in 1997.

Scott came back to the series with two prequels, Prometheus in 2012 and Alien: Covenant in 2017.

Romulus was set between Alien and Aliens and drew praise for its practical effects. Its success gave the studio reason to invest further.

The franchise has also moved to television with Alien: Earth, a series set in the same universe.

With a writer attached, the next steps are a finished script, a director search and casting. Production has no start date.

Read the full article for the Alien series timeline and more on what is known about the new film.