With the recent trailers for Alien: Covenant amping up the anticipation for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus follow-up, the iconic director has moved to discuss what’s to come after Covenant.

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Scott confirmed that the next Alien picture is already written and that the plan is to start shooting in 2018. “You’ve got to assume to a certain extent success, and from that you’d better be ready,” said Scott. “You don’t want a two-year gap. So I’ll be ready to go again next year.”

At present, the plan is for Alien: Covenant to be the second of a four-movie cycle that started with Prometheus and that will ultimately head towards where Scott began the series with 1979’s legendary Alien.

Starring Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby and James Franco, Alien: Covenant will hit cinemas from May 18th.

If you’ve not seen the latest trailer for the film, be sure to check out the rather goosebump-inducing footage below: