Has enough time passed since the disappointing Prometheus for us to be excited about a new Alien movie again? That’s questionable, but this new clip of Alien: Covenant suggests that the movie is making the welcome decision to lean on the 1979 horror / sci-fi classic for inspiration. Titled “The Last Supper,” the four-minute video serves as a prologue to the events of the movie, introducing the colonist characters who have joined the Covenant mission to find a new world.
The Last Supper in question appears to be a nod to the iconic dinner scene in the original Alien. Just like that scene, jovial proceedings on board the ship give way to panic when one guest has some digestive distress, but Alien: Covenant doesn’t give the game away that fast: spoilers, but it’s a bit of food, rather than a gestating chestburster, that’s causing her hacking coughs.
That’s not all it borrows from Alien. The ship the cryosleeping passengers call home has the same cluttered and industrial aspect, and everything’s shot with the series’ standard blue-green filter. The cast, however, might be a little more incongruous, especially with James Franco as a captain and Eastbound & Down’s Danny McBride taking on a much more serious role than usual.
Alien: Covenant is out in theaters on May 19th.
