Alien: Covenant - the sequel to Prometheus - isn't out for another few months and yet Sir Ridley Scott has a follow-up written should the world want it.

The news was seemingly confirmed in a set visit report written by Sydney Morning Herald. The quote reads: “While working on Alien: Covenant, he had the next instalment written so he is ready to keep advancing the saga. “You’ve got to assume to a certain extent success and from that, you’d better be ready,” he says. “You don’t want a two-year gap. So I’ll be ready to go again next year.”'

It's unsure when the set visit occurred; if last year, it means that should the film correlate to box office success - which is sure to happen when considering the overwhelmingly positive audience reaction to initial footage - Scott could be back at work on the Alien franchise as early as this year.

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“If you really want a franchise, I can keep cranking it for another six. I’m not going to close it down again. No way,” the report quotes Scott as saying.

This could be the reason why Neill Blomkamp's long-anticipated Alien 5 - which would have seen original star Sigourney Weaver return as Ellen Ripley - has been put on hold indefinitely.

Trailer for new Alien: Covenant film released

Fantastic Beasts actor Katharine Waterston heads up the cast of Alien: Covenant alongside original star Noomi Rapace, Demián Bichir, Danny McBride, James Franco and Michael Fassbender (twice).