The "Alien: Covenant" trailer, first screened for press during a Fox Showcase event in New York City, now hits the Web to tease even more commonalities. Katherine Waterston -- a star of another franchise prequel, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" -- is being dubbed the new Ellen Ripley, as her character, Daniels, marks another tough-as-nails woman in a white tank top facing a horde of alien monstrosities.
It's clear from the footage that, like Sigourney Weaver's character, Daniels is having some second thoughts about the Covenant's mission. Might she, too, share an unease around artificial intelligence with Michael Fassbender's Walter lurking around?
"People are talking a lot these days about the progress we're making, or, you know, storytelling, with great roles for women," the actress said during the press event. "But, I mean, I don't know, maybe Ridley's not getting enough credit. He's been doing it for a very long time."
Watch the trailer below.
The basic plot of "Alien: Covenant" is of the titular colony ship bound for a planet in a remote part of the galaxy. The crew land on what they believe to be an uncharted paradise and find that the only visible inhabitant is, whaddya know, David, Fassbender's character from "Prometheus." Because it's an "Alien" movie, things go terribly, terribly wrong as they learn he's not exactly the only creature on the planet.
Press were shown even more glimpses of "Covenant" in the form of clips and a sizzle reel. Here's what we learned.
"They're colonists. They're scientists," Waterston explained after Fox screened a clip. "Obviously Amy is a pilot. They're not military experts or anything, so they are all civilians."
She added, "There are some military dudes around to protect us, but most of the -- I don't know if I'm supposed to say this, but I'm gonna say it anyway -- most of the people on the ship are couples, and then there are all of these colonists who are in a cryosleep."
"You always wonder, what kind of person you would be in an extreme crisis," she continued. "Will you be a coward, or will you be courageous? And I think just one of those people, who, if her kids were in a car that was on fire, she'd be able to lift up the car."
Seimetz's character locks two members of the crew in the medical bay, fearing the one writhing in pain has contracted an alien virus that could spread to the others. She's then forced to watch as the neomorph cuts open the back of its victim with its spikes, spilling onto the floor with a heap of entrails. The carnivorous pigmy then charges and ferociously eviscerates the other crew member.
Outside, as Daniels's group is about to reach the ship, one of their men vomits up a stream of blood carrying his neomorph, which then scampers off into the thick grass. Waterston hadn't seen any footage from "Covenant" before the press event, so her initial reaction upon seeing the clip was one of nausea: "Oh, God. I feel like I'm gonna throw up."
McBride, as expected, offers comedic relief, while Seimetz delivers a truly terrifying performance as she flees in the horror pursuing her. She's the only one left on the ship that's landed to survey the planet. The others have gone off to survey their surroundings, the patients she locked in the medical bay are dead, and the neomorph is breaking through the glass to get to her.
She desperately searches for a gun, but the creature is too fast for her to hit. Amid the frenzy, she accidentally fires into what's presumed to be the ship's fuel tank, since it instantly explodes, destroying the craft and leaving everyone else stranded on the planet.
"Alien: Covenant" opens in theaters May 19, 2017.
