It’s not 100 percent clear that anyone really wants to know where the aliens we first met almost 40 years ago in Alien came from — as with all the best horror-movie monsters, their mysterious origin is partly what’s so scary about them. Nonetheless, Ridley Scott seems to think the world must know how and why the xenomorphs came to be, as evidenced by his upcoming Alien: Covenant, a second prequel to his 1979 original, which will delve further into the creatures’ backstories. And in case you thought Scott was anywhere close to being done with his acid-blooded fiends after this go-round, think again.

Related: ‘Alien: Covenant’ Shares a First Look Cast Photo

In a new interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Scott confesses that he’s so intrigued by the “fantasy” of his sci-fi series — which he resurrected with 2012’s polarizing Prometheus — that he’s more than ready to keep it going for the foreseeable future:

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

Scott’s plan for SIX more installments would bring the franchise’s total number of prequels to eight, and the entire series’ run to 12 movies (not counting the two Alien vs. Predator spin-offs). If that sounds like an ambitious course of action for the 79-year-old director, know that he’s already getting set to start work on the next Alien chapter — which could begin production as early as next year.

Related: ‘Alien’ Franchise’s Path Since ‘Aliens’ Leaves James Cameron Cold (But He’s Still a Big Ridley Scott Fan)

“You’ve got to assume to a certain extent success and from that you’d better be ready. You don’t want a two-year gap. So I’ll be ready to go again next year.”

Suffice it to say, Alien: Covenant will be only the beginning of what may be a deluge of future sagas involving the famed H.R. Giger-created beasts. You can see which of the forthcoming film’s characters — played by Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, James Franco, and more — survive Scott’s outer-space onslaught when the film lands in theaters on May 19.

Related: Sigourney Weaver Wants to Give Her ‘Alien’ Heroine a ‘Satisfying’ Send-off

To read more about Scott’s ideas for the future, as well as Waterston’s thrill at playing a Ripley-style heroine and Fassbender’s belief that Covenant returns the series to its horror roots, head over to The Sydney Morning Herald.

‘Alien: Covenant’: Watch a trailer:



Read More: