Michael Fassbender Compares New ‘Alien’ to ‘Blade Runner’

Ridley Scott’s Prometheus was a bit divisive, to say the least, so when the director announced plans for a new trilogy of Alien prequels, it left fans with some big questions. We’ve gotten answers to a few of them (no, Noomi Rapace isn’t returning; yes, we will see the origins of the Xenomorph), and though he’s not allowed to reveal much about Alien: Covenant, Michael Fassbender is happy to shed a little more light on the upcoming prequel.

Fassbender is currently working on Alien: Covenant with Ridley Scott in Australia, where he spoke to Inquirer.net (via AVP Galaxy) about the ambitious new project. The actor is the only returning cast member from Prometheus, as Scott previously revealed that Noomi Rapace would not be returning despite earlier reports that she had a minor role (I have a feeling she may still have something of a cameo).

While Fassbender couldn’t offer any major plot details, he did deliver this perfectly succinct description:

There are going to be great sets and aliens coming out of people.

But we already knew that, as Scott has said that Covenant will feature all the different varieties of Xenomorph. How about something we don’t know?

One of the complaints about Prometheus dealt with the tech, which was far more advanced than what was seen in the original Alien films. If Prometheus is a prequel, then it’s strange for the technology to be more advanced than what comes after. Fassbender’s description of the set design for Covenant seems to indicate that Scott may have been paying attention to that particular gripe:

The sets are fantastic. Again, the most impressive sets I’ve seen since ‘Prometheus,’ which was the original setting. It’s a fantastic mixture of high-end technology and primitive elements. The way that I can explain it is the same way that Ridley did ‘Blade Runner.’

Fassbender goes on to say that the film combines the past with the future in a way that “makes for an interesting world that we can aspire to, but also recognize something in it.” He also says that the crew eats a lot of noodles, in case you were wondering about their space-food of choice.

Alien: Covenant centers on a new derelict crew who stumble upon a previously undiscovered planet that appears to be an uncharted paradise. However, further exploration reveals an unsettling fact: Fassbender’s synthetic David is the planet’s only inhabitant.

Fassbender is joined by Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir and Jussie Smollett in the film, which hits theaters on August 4, 2017.