The ending for Prometheus left the door open for sequels and a possible direct bridge to the Alien franchise. But because of its lackluster performance at the box office, development on the sequel has been slow going. Then came word that Neill Blomkamp would direct Alien 5, stirring up rumors that Prometheus 2 could also be on its way to actually going into production.

While it is far from a confirmation, a new interview reveals that Ridley Scott may actually start shooting Prometheus 2 in January. More on this story below.

Here’s a snippet from an interview with Total Film (via Scified.com), including a quote from Scott:

Again it’s far from an actual confirmation. Scott never directly says that he is going to start shooting Prometheus 2, however Total Film is a very reliable source, and I’m sure that the director gave them some sort of inclination that production for Prometheus would start, we just never thought it be as soon as January. The problem with these unconfirmed reports is that a lot of things could change between now and the suspected start date. Studios could push it back or even worse deny such a start date even exists. We won’t know until Fox or Scott confirms the news. Then there’s the director’s unpredictable schedule. Scott has always been attached to numerous projects like Blade Runner 2, and was most recently attached to the El Chapo drama The Cartel.

Scott’s quote also shows an invested interest in returning to the sci-fi genre. His previous two films, The Counselor and Exodus: Gods and Kings were critically panned and box office bombs. Though it looks like The Martian, starring Matt Damon, is a return to form. No word yet on how Prometheus 2 will affect Alien 5, or even if Fox is considering linking the films together.

Written by Michael Green and Jack Paglen, Prometheus 2 will feature the return of Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace. A tentative release date has yet to be announced.

[Source: Total Film via Scified]