Steve Asbell, President of 20th Century Studios, has denied reports of an indefinite freeze on the sequel to "Alien: Romulus." The executive responded with a short "No" to a post on the social network X summarizing a World of Reel article.
According to World of Reel, the sequel's development allegedly stalled after Fede Álvarez left the director's chair. The director wanted to bring back Michael Fassbender as the android David, but producer Ridley Scott reportedly opposed the appearance of his created character in another director's film.
Among other possible obstacles, the publication cited the busy schedules of Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson in other major projects, difficulties in finding a new director, and the development of a separate film in the "Alien" universe based on a script by Brian Duffield ("Underwater").
Asbell's response indicates that the development of the "Romulus" sequel is still underway. The executive did not comment on other details of the publication, so the current stage of the project, the fate of the idea of David's return, and the exact timing of production remain unknown for now.