Brian Duffield is not making an Alien movie. Not this time, anyway. The rumour mill spun fast after his name surfaced in connection with the franchise — whispers of a sequel to Alien: Romulus that never materialised, but Duffield himself has shut it down flat. 'I was asked to contribute to the Alien universe,' he told The Hollywood Reporter, 'but it wasn’t a full script. It was more like a pitch or a treatment. Nothing came of it.' The moment the speculation hit, he clarified: no film, no timeline, no greenlight. Just a conversation that didn’t go anywhere. Still, the myth persists. And it’s telling. Because while Duffield isn’t building another xenomorph nightmare, he is deep inside one. Literally. His new film, Whalefall, is set entirely within the stomach of a sperm whale. And yes, it’s as claustrophobic as it sounds. Austin Abrams plays Jay Gardiner, a scuba diver who gets swallowed whole during a dive off the coast of California. What follows is a psychological descent into isolation, memory, and grief, all narrated through flashbacks of a strained father-son relationship. The book by Daniel Kraus, which inspired the film, is known for its scientific precision and emotional weight. Duffield read it while recovering from the birth of his second child. He called it ‘the only thing I could focus on’ at a time when everything else felt overwhelming. That personal resonance shaped the tone. This isn’t just survival horror. It’s a meditation on loss, silence, and how we carry the dead inside us. Duffield co-wrote the screenplay with Kraus, who gave him space to adapt without interference. ‘He’s my work husband now,’ Duffield joked. No arguments. No clashes. Just two minds working in sync. The film’s test screenings were tough. Audiences found it slow, intense, emotionally heavy. But Duffield stood by it. ‘It’s not a fun movie,’ he said. ‘It’s not supposed to be.’ The studio, 20th Century, backed him. They’d seen what he did with No One Will Save You, a quiet, dialogue-free thriller that became a cult hit despite being released during the SAG strike. Now, they’re betting on another intimate, high-concept story. Whalefall lands in theatres next summer. No date yet. No trailer. Just word from the director: it’s not about monsters. It’s about what happens when you’re trapped in your own mind, and the only way out is through memory. And if that sounds familiar? Good. It’s supposed to.