While it will come as no surprise that Michael Fassbender is returning for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus sequel Alien: Covenant, an unexpected comedy actor has supposedly joined the ranks.
Yes, The Wrap are reporting that Danny McBride is in talks to join Scott’s outer-space thriller in what would be a rare foray into dramatic territory for the actors who is best known for comedy series Eastbound and Down, but has also appeared in Pineapple Express, This is the End and Your Highness.
TheWrap (via Squareeyed) reports McBride is “in early discussions” for Alien: Covenant, so it’s definitely not a sure thing at this time but according to their sources, McBride won the role after striking up an unusual bond with veteran director Scott.
Picking up about ten years after the events of Prometheus, Alien: Covenant follows a colony ship called the Covenant that lands on a seeming paradise. But the new world turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than the crew initially suspected, and its sole inhabitant is David — the devious android who survived the doomed expedition chronicled in Prometheus.
Alien: Covenant is expected to bridge the gap between Prometheus and the Alien films, helped by two subsequent sequels before we eventually land on Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5. Prometheusended with David and Elizabeth Shaw setting out for the Engineers’ home planet in search of answers.
However, it’s also been reported that Noomi Rapace, who played Elizabeth, isn’t returning for the sequel. Adding McBride is something of a surprise but Scott is just coming off working on The Martian, which is considered a comedy as much as anything, so perhaps he is adopting a similarly light-hearted approach with Alien: Covenant. However, while it worked perfectly for The Martian with Matt Damon, we don’t think the Alien franchise suits McBride’s brand of humour. It’s certainly darker and more serious, so it’ll be interesting to see if McBride’s character is some form of comic relief or a genuine dramatic element.
Alien: Covenant shoots this spring for release on October 6, 2017 from 20th Century Fox.
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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