Ridley Scott, the director responsible for some of the most iconic sci-films of all time, returned to the genre after an almost 30-year absence with 2012's "Prometheus," a divisive pseudo-prequel/spinoff to his original 1979 film, "Alien." He will again helm a blockbuster sci-fi film with this October's "The Martian" starring Matt Damon (based on the excellent Andy Weir novel of the same name).
After that, Scott has yet to officially sign on with another directorial project, though rumors have persisted that he will begin production on "Prometheus 2" at some point in the near future. That seems to have been confirmed with recent reports suggesting that filming will begin in early 2016.
Total Film reports the scoop from their profile of "The Martian," which states that "Scott begins shooting Prometheus 2 in January [2016]." Recent rumors suggested that Scott may be directing Leonardo DiCaprio in the 20th Century Fox backed crime drama/thriller "The Cartel" (again, go read the books. Great entertainment). However, it appears as if the director is more interested in getting back to his "Alien" and "Prometheus" universes.
"I've gotten back into the science fiction thing. I kind of adore it," he told Total Film.
A January 2016 production start date would make sense schedule wise for Scott and "Prometheus" stars Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender, though the desire for a second film in the series remains hotly debated.
"Prometheus" has a staunch group of both supporters and detractors, with some enjoying the new ground it covered while others criticized the film's collection of main characters and lack of answers. A sequel was directly set up with the film's conclusion that saw scientist Elizabeth Shaw (Rapace) and android David (Fassbender) taking off for the Engineers' home world to learn why they created the human race and then tried to destroy it.
"The Martian" opens in U.S. theaters on October 2nd, 2015. We'll keep you posted as more details about "Prometheus 2" emerge.
