This year marks the 40th anniversary of the "Alien" film franchise. PC Gamer reports that Fox has announced that they are not planning a new Alien movie. Instead, they are planning a number of other projects to celebrate the milestone. Fox Studios announced they are working on the mobile game "Alien: Blackout." The game will follow the adventures of Ripley's daughter Amanda.

Focus turning towards mobile gaming to tell the story

Amanda was the star of the 2014 video game "Alien: Isolation," where she was stranded on a dying space station. The game ended up becoming a fan favorite.

Amanda will also make appearances in the comic book series "Alien: Resistance." Fox is also set to release their documentary "Memory: The Origins of Alien," which details the development of the original film. Fox studios are also releasing six short fan films. There are also rumors that an "Alien" TV series is in development with a streaming service.

Fox originally teased the expansion of the "Alien" universe would continue in 2019 and Amanda would be a key player, leading fans to expect a possible movie. This resulted in fans disappointment that "Blackout" was only going to be a mobile game. Variety has reported that the game is not teasing a potential new Alien movie. Initial reaction to "Alien: Blackout" has been mixed but the studio has said they are happy to see fans talking about the game.

Game executives showed off the new game during a visit to New York.

Series being shelved until Disney acquires franchise

Hollywood insiders are not surprised that no sequel is in development, because Disney is waiting to acquire the property from Fox, sometime later this year. "Alien: Covenant" received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office.

Alien director Ridley Scott has also teased a sequel titled Awakening, but that's obviously not in the cards now.

It was recently revealed that there was an alternate ending to "The Predator" film which focused on the return of Ellen Ripley. The ending suggested a possible crossover between the Alien and Predator films. However, Sigourney Weaver did not approve of the "Alien Vs Predator" series, so it's unlikely she would return for a new film.

The film did not provide any context to explain how she ends up in the present day. As of now, it doesn't appear that we will get another chapter in the Alien saga, or even in the "Alien v. Predator" storyline. Fans of the series will just have to settle for video games and comics.