Rapace returning to space: Actress will reprise her 'Prometheus' role for 'Alien: Covenant'

Up until now, there’s been a conspicuous lack of certainty regarding the likelihood of Prometheus actress Noomi Rapace reprising her role for the film’s upcoming sequel, Alien: Covenant. However, we finally have some casting news that clears up some of that speculation.

It’s official: Rapace’s scientist Elizabeth Shaw, the lone survivor of the ill-fated expedition to the distant moon LV-223, will indeed appear in the follow-up to Prometheus.

Deadline reports that Rapace is currently on the set of Alien: Covenant in Australia in order to shoot two weeks’ worth of scenes in Ridley Scott’s sequel to the 2012 sci-fi horror film (which was itself a prequel to Scott’s 1979 franchise-spawning film Alien). It’s unknown how much of a role Shaw will play in the film, as early reports suggested that Michael Fassbender’s android character, David, would be the only featured character to return for the sequel.

Official plot details are still a closely guarded secret, but Covenant is expected to bridge the gap between Prometheus and Alien. The story reportedly involves the crew of a colony ship bound for a far-off planet, and the discovery of a world that initially seems like paradise, but is actually a very dark, dangerous place.

Along with Rapace and Fassbender returning for the film, Covenant also stars Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down), Demián Bichir (The Hateful Eight), Jussie Smolett (Empire), Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color), Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Callie Hernandez (Machete Kills), and Billy Crudup (Watchmen).

The film’s screenplay was penned by Jack Paglen (Transcendence) and Michael Green (Green Lantern).

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