Ridley Scott has revealed that discussions about the Alien franchise are "in process" with new owners Disney.

The director revived the saga with the prequel movie Prometheus in 2012, followed five years later by Alien: Covenant, which underperformed at the box office.

Work was underway on new movie Alien: Awakening when Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox went through and the project was then abandoned, but Ridley has indicated that the franchise's future is under active discussion.

"That's in process," he told Forbes. "We went down a route to try and reinvent the wheel with Prometheus and Covenant.

"Whether or not we go directly back to that is doubtful because Prometheus woke it up very well.

"But you know, you're asking fundamental questions like, 'Has the Alien himself, the facehugger, the chestburster, have they all run out of steam? Do you have to rethink the whole bloody thing and simply use the word to franchise?'

"That's always the fundamental question."

Earlier this year Sigourney Weaver revealed that she had been sent a 50-page outline for a potential fifth Alien film.