Work is underway on Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott’s anticipated continuation of the franchise reprisal he started with Prometheus. Michael Fassbender is set to return as android David, while the wonderful Katherine Waterston recently snagged the lead role.
The latest casting news, however, is the most intriguing yet. The Wrap has revealed that Danny McBride has entered talks for an undisclosed role. No official comment has come from the actor’s camp, but it’s quite the catch. While the actor is best known for his brash comedic turns in Pineapple Express and HBO’s Eastbound and Down, his rugged swagger is inescapable and feels in tune with the working-class sensibilities that often come with Xenomorph targets. McBride and Scott reportedly had an enlightening talk about their mutual love of film that led to his casting.
The start of an envisioned trilogy said to bridge Prometheus to the original 1979 film, Alien: Covenant follows the discovery of a seemingly utopian planet whose only resident is the untrustworthy David (Fassbender). Production begins in Australia this spring for an October 6, 2017 release date.
In the meantime, Sir Ridley is coming off The Martian, a multiple Oscar nominee and arguably his best work since Thelma & Louise, while McBride returns to HBO later this year with the comedy Vice Principals.
