Ever since director Ridley Scott announced that his Prometheus 2 sequel is titled Alien: Paradise Lost, fans have wondered what's become of director Neill Blomkamp's Alien 5. Well, for starters, it will technically be Alien 7, not counting the two Alien Vs. Predator movies. Bring those into the mix, and Neill Blomkamp is actually making Alien X. Also, it will have the iconic Alien pulse rifle on full display!

Even before Chappie opened to less than stellar business at the box office, Neill Blomkamp began teasing his Alien sequel. It was a dream project that 20th Century Fox confirmed was moving forward. And the art he often shared hinted that this would be a direct follow-up to director James Cameron's 1986 sequel Aliens. Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection weren't being scrubbed from the timeline, but they wouldn't be mentioned in this new sci-fi thriller that will reportedly re-team Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and Michael Biehn as Hicks. Making it even more of a true sequel is this Pulse Rifle, which was used quite extensively in Aliens in fighting off the iconic Xenomorphs.

Alien 5, or whatever it will end up being called, was originally scheduled to hit theaters in 2017. But that changed when director Ridley Scott announced that Alien: Paradise Lost would be his next movie, shooting in early 2016. It seemed that Alien 5 (perhaps it will be called Aliens 2) is being delayed as the rumors claimed. Some even speculated that it was all together canceled. Obviously that is not the case, as Neill Blomkamp subtly suggests with his latest Instagram.

While Alien 5 is a direct sequel to the Alien franchise, Ridley Scott's Alien: Paradise Lost is still a direct follow-up to 2012's Prometheus, and will continue the adventures of Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. Though, it will also introduce a new Xenomorph alien and will have ties to Ripley's character, whatever they may be. Some speculate that we'll either be introduced to Ripley as a baby or witness her birth in Alien: Paradise Lost as a new group of space travelers is introduced.

With Alien: Paradise Lost on everyone's lips, Neill Blomkamp is trying to keep interest in his Alien 5 humming along, least it be forgotten. About the Pulse Rifle, he offered some excited words. The new version of the gun will have an RIS, which stands for Rail Interface System. That means soldiers will be able to attach scopes, lights and other necessary tools for better aim. He simply states the following.

"We all knew there would be pulse rifles. Obviously. Now with added RIS."

It's still unclear how Alien 5 and Alien: Paradise Lost will be connected, or how their productions will intertwine, after all. Alien: Paradise Lost is clearly coming first, which means that Neill Blomkamp will have to take a backseat to whatever Ridley Scott has planned in the long term. It's also not clear if fans will take this all in as Alien overload, and cause the franchise to go dormant for an extended period of time, as it has in the past. Check out this latest teaser, then prepare for the first taste of new Alien goodness when Ridley Scott's second prequel opens in May, 2017. Alien Whatever doesn't have a release date set at this time.