When you begin to list the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, there’s no doubt Ridley Scott’s Alien is somewhere near the top. But after several sequels (the best of which came with James Cameron’s follow-up, Aliens), the quality had begun to fade and all we were left with were two half-baked Alien vs. Predator films that came nowhere near the quality of the original.

Not long ago we told you that Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) was already hard at work producing a new Predator reboot/sequel, and now IESB reports that director Ridley Scott is considering a return to the Alien franchise following a stint with Robin Hood. But according to rumors and previous chatter from Scott himself, this new Alien film (if it happens) could be a prequel, instead of an all-out reboot. Phew. And here I thought they were really hell-bent on ruining my childhood.

20th Century Fox chief Tom Rothman says it’s in the early stages since Scott is still working on Robin Hood, but shows definite interest and hopes the project happens. He says, "Ridley is right now working on Robin Hood, but I think he's toying with the idea and that would be great for us. I mean, it's always been a matter of, really, if you can get the originator to do it that would be the greatest thing, so I've got my fingers crossed, all of them."

An Alien prequel would most likely explore the origins of the Alien, and since it would take place prior to Sigourney Weaver battling those bad boys to the death, there’s a very good chance she won’t be involved – that is, unless they decide to tell the story as part of a flashback which includes the Ripley character in some capacity. Here’s my question: If Ridley Scott directs, what are the chances of watching Russell Crowe throw down against some other-worldly creatures?

What do you think of an Alien prequel? Should one exist, or would you rather see a straight up sequel or – dare I say it – a franchise reboot?