Danny McBride reveals his role in ‘Alien: Covenant,’ gushes about film’s practical FX

Along with revealing the nature of the part he plays in the sequel to Prometheus (and, reportedly, the prequel to Alien), McBride also shared some thoughts on the practical effects used in the film. With production still ongoing, the actor had a lot to say about what franchise fans can expect to see in the 2017 film.

“I’m the pilot of the spaceship Covenant,” McBride told Rolling Stone. “[It’s] a colonization ship, searching for a planet where we might start life anew.”

The film reportedly follows the crew of the aforementioned colonization ship as they discover a planet that initially seems like a paradise, only to discover that it holds a dark, deadly secret. They also discover that the planet is now home to the android David, the last remaining member of the doomed Prometheus expedition chronicled in the 2012 film known to be in Covenant.

Alien: Covenant is expected to bridge the gap between Prometheus and Scott’s franchise-spawning 1979 film Alien, and according to McBride, the film’s use of practical effects also harks back to the movie that kicked off the series.

“Most of the stuff is practical effects: When you’re running from an alien, it’s really a dude in an alien suit coming after you!” he said. “The sets are incredible and you’re in them: We go through some inclement weather at one point on the spaceship, and this whole gigantic set is on a gimbal, shaking up and down. You don’t have to use your imagination.”

In a well-timed bit of promotion, 20th Century Fox also released a brief video from the set of the film featuring one of those practical elements: a hand from one of the terrifying xenomorph aliens.

Where it all begins. #AlienCovenant pic.twitter.com/X0aGEEtH3P

— Alien Anthology (@AlienAnthology) July 6, 2016

Along with McBride, the cast of Alien: Covenant includes Michael Fassbender, who is reprising his role as the android David, as well as Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), Demián Bichir (The Hateful Eight), Jussie Smolett (Empire), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color), Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Callie Hernandez (Machete Kills), and Billy Crudup (Watchmen).

Deadline reported last month that Noomi Rapace will reprise her Prometheus role as scientist Elizabeth Shaw, the lone human survivor of the ill-fated expedition to the distant moon LV-223, but the studio has not given confirmation.

Alien: Covenant is scheduled to hit theaters August 4, 2017.