With the May 19 release date for Alien: Covenant getting closer and closer, 20th Century Fox just announced a new virtual reality (VR) experience for director Ridley Scott's sci-fi adventure. The studio hasn't announced exactly when it will be made available, but this Alien: Covenant VR experience will be a paid title that will be available on all major VR platforms. Here's how the team at Fox Innovation Labs describe this VR experience below.

"(A) dread-inducing journey into the depths of the Alien universe. Viewers will discover the true meaning of terror as they navigate through horrifying alien environments and a story where every decision could mean the difference between life and death."

Variety reports that this experience will be executive produced by Ridley Scott and directed by David Karlak. The project will be a collaboration between Ridley Scott's RSA Films, the Fox Innovation Lab and MPC VR, a Technicolor Company. This VR experience for the sci-fi sequel is expected to be unveiled during the CES convention in Las Vegas, which kicks off this week. The studio used the same convention to unveil their first VR experience last year.

20th Century Fox unveiled The Martian VR Experience at CES in Las Vegas last January, and it was released on the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift virtual reality systems later in the year. 20th Century Fox is moving far beyond most studios already in the VR realm, using the technology for opportunities in new media that go beyond promoting their movies. It hasn't been confirmed if characters such as Michael Fassbender's David or others will be featured in this VR experience for Alien: Covenant.

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in Alien with Alien: Covenant, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with Prometheus and connects directly to Scott's 1979 seminal work of science fiction. Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world whose sole inhabitant is the "synthetic" David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

Alien: Covenant also stars Katherine Waterston, who has been rumored to play Ripley's mother, although that has never been confirmed. The character certainly draws comparisons to Sigourney Weaver's iconic space heroine. Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Jussie Smollett, Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo and Callie Hernandez round out the supporting cast, along with James Franco, who also recently confirmed that he is starring in Alien: Covenant, although he wouldn't shed any light on his character. The initial report claimed that he is playing a character named Branson, the captain of the Covenant ship, who is also married to Katherine Waterston's Daniels. Ridley Scott is directing from a script by Jack Paglen, Michael Green and John Logan.