Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus' Sequel 'Alien: Covenant' Casts Danny McBride

The highly awaited sequel to Ridley Scott's Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, is currently in pre-production, and that means that there will be new additions to the cast being announced in the next few months. Now, news has come out that an unlikely star will be joining Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender in the project -- Danny McBride!

According to The Wrap, McBride is currently early in talks to join the cast of the sci-fi sequel, joining Fassbender. While his reps refused to confirm the report, it seems like the actor, known for his comedy in films like Pineapple Express and This Is The End, will be changing genres for Scott's film.

It appears as though McBride and Scott have really hit it off during talks, as they're both cinephiles and love old movies. Still, it doesn't sound absurd that, for McBride, it could be something of a dream to work with Scott.

IGN reports that Noomi Rapace, who played Elizabeth Shaw in the 2012 film, Prometheus, won't be returning for the sequel, and so far, Fassbender and McBride will be joined by Katherine Waterston, who'll take on the role of the new female lead of the Alien universe.

Right after winning the Golden Globe for his work behind the scenes in last year's The Martian, Scott revealed that Covenant would be a return to form for the Alien franchise, focusing more on the horror aspect of the story. The legendary director says he wants to top how scary the dinner scene from the original Alien film was, so Covenant might not be a movie to watch right before bedtime. So far, plans for the film involve a "pretty hard R" when it comes to the movie's rating.

Covenant is currently going through pre-production, and the film will begin shooting in Australia next April, during the country's fall, then hitting theaters on October 6, 2017.