Brian Duffield Rumored to Write a New Alien Film for 20th Century Studios
The writer-director of No One Will Save You is the latest name linked to the Xenomorph franchise — and horror fans should be very excited about what that means.
The Rumor
According to multiple industry reports, filmmaker Brian Duffield is in talks or has been tapped to write a new installment in the Alien franchise for 20th Century Studios. The rumor surfaced in mid-June 2026 and has been generating significant buzz among horror and sci-fi fans alike.
Duffield is best known to genre audiences as the writer and director of No One Will Save You (2023), the nearly dialogue-free sci-fi home invasion thriller that became a streaming sensation for 20th Century Studios. He also wrote The Babysitter, Underwater, and Love and Monsters, and directed the dark comedy Spontaneous (2020). His most recent film, the survival thriller Whalefall, hit theaters earlier this year.
If confirmed, this would mark Duffield's second major swing at the Alien franchise's sandbox — though his first in the driver's seat as writer.
Why Duffield Makes Sense
If you've seen No One Will Save You, the Duffield-to-Alien connection clicks immediately. That film proved he can build sustained tension with minimal dialogue, a strong singular protagonist, and a terrifying alien threat that demands creative survival thinking — all skills that translate directly to a Xenomorph movie.
Duffield's Underwater (2020) is essentially an Alien homage set at the bottom of the ocean, complete with deep-sea monstrosities, a cramped station, and Kristen Stewart in full Ripley mode. He clearly loves this subgenre. And Love and Monsters showed he can do creature design and world-building with warmth and humor.
In short: this is a writer who has been preparing for an Alien movie his entire career.
Where the Franchise Stands
The last theatrical Alien film, Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus (2024), was a critical and commercial success, grossing $350 million on an $80 million budget. A sequel is already in development, with Álvarez writing the screenplay and exploring new directors. Sigourney Weaver has also confirmed discussions about reprising her role as Ellen Ripley in a separate project being written by Walter Hill.
Meanwhile, the FX series Alien: Earth premiered in August 2025 to strong reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and has a second season in pre-production.
It is not yet clear whether Duffield's project would be the Romulus sequel, a standalone film, or something else entirely. At this stage, the project remains unconfirmed by the studio — but Duffield's name attached to any Alien project is an exciting prospect for fans who want the franchise to keep taking creative risks.
What to Watch Next
While we wait for official confirmation, Duffield's No One Will Save You is streaming and serves as the best possible proof-of-concept for what an Alien film from this filmmaker could look like. It is a lean, mean, deeply tense sci-fi horror experience that earns every scare.
The Alien franchise has been on a remarkable run since Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Studios delivered Romulus and Alien: Earth. A Duffield-penned film would represent another bold creative choice — and given his track record, it is one worth getting excited about.
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