Many raised an eyebrow or two when Kenny F’n Powers himself landed a role in Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant, but the actor has been speaking to Rolling Stone about his role in Scott’s Prometheus sequel.

The Eastbound & Down star explained, “I’m the pilot of the spaceship Covenant, which is a colonization ship searching for a planet where we might start life anew.”

McBride then moved on to the film’s effects work, promising that there’ll be plenty of practical effects for fans to enjoy. “Most of the stuff is practical effects,” he said, “when you’re running form an alien it’s really a dude in an alien suit coming after you! The sets are incredible and you’re in them. We go through some inclement weather at one point on the spaceship and this whole gigantic set is on a gimbal, shaking up and down. You don’t have to use your imagination.”

As well as McBride, the film stars the returning Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace plus new additions in the shape of Katherine Waterston, Demian Bichir, Billy Crudup, Jussie Smolett, Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo and Callie Hernandez.

The official synopsis for Alien: Covenant reads:

Set as the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with Prometheus, Alien: Covenant connects directly to Ridley Scott’s 1979 seminal work of science fiction. It begins with the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy. There, the crew discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world – whose sole inhabitant is the “synthetic” David, survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

At present, Alien: Covenant is set for an August 4th, 2017 release.