While on the promotional tour for The Martian, director Ridley Scott didn’t exactly confirm that Prometheus 2 wold be his next film, but said that his next film would be a part of the Alien franchise.

During a recent interview, the director slipped that his next film will actually be titled Alien: Paradise Lost. This would certainly conflict with the reports that Prometheus 2 would be his next film. This comes off of months of rumors and speculation as to what his next project would be. While much of the news has been focused on Prometheus 2, Scott says the sequel isn’t his next film, but he is still planning for at least three more Prometheus sequels. Instead the director will go back to the film franchise that started it all, Alien.

Scott confirmed the title in an interview with HeyUGuys (via Comingsoon.net), where he apparently let slip the title of this next film:

The title may explain the rumor that Prometheus 2 is delaying Neill Blompkamp’s untitled Alien 5. A little over a month ago, there was a rumor that said while Fox was still very much interested in the idea of an Alien 5, Scott insisted on Prometheus 2 being made first. So what exactly is happening over at Blompkamp’s camp? It’s not clear what stage of development that film is at right now, but with Scott’s film having Alien as its lead title, it looks like Blompkamp is still perfecting his untitled film.

While Scott has directed The Counselor and Exodus: Gods and Kings, the filmmaker has been hard at work developing the sequels for Prometheus. In an interview with the German site FlimFutter, Scott explained when Prometheus would connect to Alien – mind you this was translated from a German website, so some of the translation may be interpreted incorrectly:

This would explain why Prometheus 2 won’t be the film that bridges the gap between Prometheus and Alien. But how does David (Michael Fassbender) and Shaw (Noomi Rapace) factor into all of this?

As for the title itself. Alien: Paradise Lost seems to be a reference to John Milton’s epic poem of the same name and the idea of the Engineer’s home world being paradise. In fact as ComingSoon.net points out, there was an exchange between a younger Shaw and her father about paradise:

Shaw’s Father: Sooner or later everyone does.

Young Shaw: Like mommy?

Shaw’s Father: Like mommy.

Young Shaw: Where do they go?

Shaw’s Father: Everyone has their own word; heaven, paradise. Whatever it’s called, it’s someplace beautiful.

Young Shaw: How do you know it’s beautiful?

Shaw’s Father: Cause that’s what I choose to believe. What do you believe, darling?

Alien: Paradise Lost is expected to begin filming in February for a 2017 release.

[Source: HeyUGuys via ComingSoon | FilmFutter via Comingsoon]