Synopsis

The colony ship Covenant travels to a remote planet believed to be an ideal home for humanity. After a mysterious signal draws the crew off course, they discover a seemingly perfect world hiding deadly organisms and the remnants of a vanished civilization. As survivors seek refuge, they encounter David, the synthetic from Prometheus, whose experiments reveal a terrifying path toward the Xenomorph.

Factoids & Trivia

• Alien: Covenant was filmed in Australia and New Zealand. Milford Sound provided the dramatic mountain landscape used for the planet's exteriors, while large back-lot sets were constructed at Potts Hill near Sydney.

• Production began in April 2016 and continued through July of that year. Additional work was later carried out at Leavesden Studios in England.

• The film combines practical creature work with extensive digital effects. Odd Studio and Creature NFX Workshop created makeup effects, prosthetics, animatronics, and creature suits, while several visual-effects companies handled digital creatures, environments, and enhancements.

• The Neomorph was introduced as a distinct creature from the traditional Xenomorph. Its birth sequence was designed around spores entering the body through the nose or ear, creating a different kind of body-horror set piece.

• David and Walter's scenes required elaborate visual-effects work because both characters were performed by the same actor. Scenes were often filmed twice with a body double, then combined through split-screen compositing, face replacement, and motion-control photography.

• The flute scene was particularly demanding because the two androids interact closely, including moments when one character places the other's fingers on the instrument.

• The production design deliberately drew on the industrial, functional look of the original Alien while contrasting it with the grander, more mystical environments associated with Prometheus.

• Animal Logic returned to the franchise after contributing to Prometheus. Among its work on Covenant were holograms, monitor graphics, digital environments, set extensions, and elements of the Engineers' technology.

• The title refers to the colony ship Covenant, whose mission is to transport thousands of human settlers and embryos to a distant planet.

• Alien: Covenant was released in 2017 as both a sequel to Prometheus and a prequel to Alien.