It may be Ridley Scott’s birthday, but his fans also received a present on Wednesday: a new, behind-the-scenes Alien: Covenant photo. The image shows Scott working hard on the set; he may be 79 now, but he does not seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.
Alien: Covenant is set to follow 2012’s Prometheus, making it the second film in the Alien prequel series. It is also the sixth film in the Alien film series (not counting the two that also feature Predators), which kicked off nearly four decades ago with Scott in the director’s chair. Scott helped the franchise with 1979’s Alien.
The official Alien anthology Twitter account shared the image Wednesday, wishing Scott a happy birthday and saying, “a new kind of horror was born.”
And a new kind of horror was born. Happy Birthday, Ridley Scott. #AlienCovenant pic.twitter.com/cACEx8bVW8
— Alien: Romulus (@AlienAnthology) November 30, 2016
Covenant will bring us aboard a colony ship on its way to a planet in a remote part of the galaxy. Along the way, the crew will discover an uncharted planet — one they initially believe to be a paradise but that turns out to be anything but. There, they’ll encounter David (played by Michael Fassbender), the sole survivor of the Prometheus expedition. In addition to Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce are reprising their Prometheus roles. The cast also features newcomers Danny McBride, Katherine Waterston, Demián Bichir, and Billy Crudup, among others.
Scott’s hard work on not just the latest installment in the anthology but over his entire career is worth noting, of course. In fact, it was just announced this week that he will receive the Directors Guild of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction, according to Collider. The guild’s president, Paris Barclay, called him “masterful in any genre,” and praised him for his groundbreaking work. Not a bad birthday present, right?
Alien: Covenant is due out in theaters on August 4.
