Though the film left fans a bit underwhelmed, Ridley Scott’s long-gestating Alien semi-prequel, Prometheus, was a box-office hit. It’s taken a bit of work the past year, but that sequel is officially on.

The Wrap is reporting that writer Michael Green (Green Lantern, Kings, Heroes) has signed on to take another pass at the script, which was originally drafted by newcomer Jack Paglen (Transcendence). Green is currently working with Ridley Scott on the Blade Runner sequel, and he was impressed enough to let him take a crack at the Prometheus followup.

So, will Scott return to direct once again or back off and serve as a producer? That’s where things get a little cagey. The Wrap is reporting that Scott will be back behind the camera, though a later report from Variety indicates Scott hasn’t officially signed on to direct.

The initial report also claims production is set to ramp up this fall, on the way to an eventual March 2016 opening date. But Variety claims a release date has yet to be penciled in. So either the initial story jumped the gun, or everyone got mum when the details leaked. Too early to tell.

Though the story in Prometheus was pretty hit-and-miss, the cliffhanger ending was an amazing setup for a followup film, as Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw and Michael Fassbender’s android David took off in an Engineer ship destined for the alien race’s home planet. According to initial reports, it sounds like the sequel could be heavy on Fassbender, with multiple David androids on screen.

How do you think this project will turn out? Should Scott come back to direct?

(Via The Wrap, Variety)