Alien Rumor

This Alien: Covenant Rumor Is Just Insane Enough To Make Us Hope It's True

Image: 20th Century Fox

What have we learned so far about Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, the hush-hush sequel to Prometheus? Let’s add it all up, and toss in a brand-new rumor that’s making the rounds about Katherine Waterston’s lead character, Daniels.

We’ve gotten a look at Daniels, in the official set photograph seen above, chilling on a ship that looks like it’s seen way better days. We know the rest of the cast includes Jussie Smollett, Billy Crudup, and Danny McBride, as well asPrometheus returnee Michael Fassbender, who may or may not be appearing as just a severed cyborg head. Fassbender has said that the movie’s sets have a “battered,” used-future quality that evokes the early Star Wars movies.

Since this is planet Earth and not outer space and long-lens cameras will find a way to infiltrate even the most top-secret movie set, we glimpsed someclandestine photos depicting a scene of intense human or human-like carnage at what looks like some kind of temple structure.

And now we have a juicy rumor about who Daniels really is. We have no way of knowing if it’s true, but just in case...

The Playlist writes [in a now-removed post; all you’ll find at the link is a note that reads “Spoiler removed at the request of the studio”]:

Sources close to film and actress tell us the Waterston will be playing Ellen Ripley’s mother in “Alien: Covenant,” which is an amazing twist and true to Ridley Scott’s promise that the post-“Prometheus” prequels will eventually lead right up to the first “Alien” movie. It should be noted however that Waterston isn’t the lead of the movie, and it’s an ensemble piece like “Prometheus.”

Ripley’s mother! That could be very cool—and it also means the character will survive the film, unless she’s given birth before her mission. But it’s a small nugget and, of course, we don’t know which “sources” were giving up script secrets. And if she’s not the lead, who is? We’ll find out everything when the damn movie’s out in August 2017. Until then, let the speculation continue.