'Alien: Covenant': Two Female Directors To Work Alongside Ridley Scott in Australia

Ridley Scott is adding two female directors to his team when he shoots “Alien: Covenant” in Australia. It was announced by Screen Australia and the Australian Directors Guild (ADG) that Brooke Goldfinch and Catriona McKenzie were chosen as the director’s attachments for the film and will work with the director for five weeks.

“A director’s attachment with Ridley Scott is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Across all genres, his films have a pure cinematic vision. I look forward to being a great big sponge – quiet and absorbing,” said McKenzie in a statement.

Goldfinch added, “Shadowing one of my icons on one of my favorite blockbuster film series is an extraordinary opportunity. With over 40 years’ experience, Ridley Scott is a master. He has always nurtured the careers of women in front of and behind the camera and I’m happy to have the privilege of working with him.”

READ MORE: ‘Alien: Covenant’ First Look Picture: Ridley Scott’s Sequel Image Shows Crew Badge

The Director’s Attachment Scheme is funded by ADG and Screen Australia as an incentive program for emerging directors to develop their craft. Goldfinch and McKenzie have blossoming careers as helmers. This year Goldfinch was nominated for Best Direction in a Short Film at the ADG Awards and was previously selected to direct a segment of the film “The Colour of Time.”

McKenzie’s debut feature film, “Satellite Boy,” won the Crystal Bear Special Mention Award for Best Film at the Berlin Film Festival.

READ MORE: Neill Blomkamp’s ‘Alien’: Sigourney Weaver Assures Fans That ‘It’s An Amazing Script’

Starring Michael Fassbender as David, the sequel to “Prometheus” will follow the colony ship, Covenant, as it is bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy. When the crew thinks it found uncharted land, it will discover that it’s a dark and dangerous world, whose only inhabitant is the “synthetic” David, the survivor of the Prometheus expedition.

Additional cast members include Katherine Waterston, Demian Bichir, Danny McBride and Billy Crudup.

“Alien: Covenant” lands in theaters on August 4, 2017.

Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Festivals newsletter here.

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.