UPDATE: (9/7/10 9:10 PM PST)Although the UK's Sunday Times is known to be a reputable news source, MTV Movies Blog reached out to Gemma Arterton's publicist, who denied that Gemma Arterton was in talks to star in the Untitled Alien Prequel:

"There's no truth to that."

It's possible that Gemma Arterton's camp is just trying to cover her tracks for speaking about the project too soon, and that she will still be meeting with Ridley Scott to appear as the female lead in the Untitled Alien Prequel sometime in the near future. We'll be sure to keep you posted with any further information on the Untitled Alien Prequel as soon as it is made available.

Original Story: After her breakout performance as James Bond's Strawberry Fields in 2008's Quantum of Solace, Brit Gemma Arterton has become one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood. In talking with The Sunday Times about her upcoming graphic novel adaptation Tamara Drewe, the actress revealed that she is set to meet with director Ridley Scott about starring in his upcoming Untitled Alien Prequel and its possible back-to-back sequel.

Ridley Scott himself called the meeting after being wowed by Gemma Arterton's performance as Alice Creed, a young woman who is imprisoned in her own apartment by two ex-convicts in J Blakeson's thriller from earlier this year The Disappearance of Alice Creed. If hired, it is assumed that Arterton will be taking on a role similar to the strong female protagonist Ripley, as played by Sigourney Weaver in the original Alien and its three sequels.

In the same Sunday Times interview, Gemma Arterton also revealed that she has joined Christopher Nolan's planned adaptation of the Ruth Rendell novel The Keys to the Street. Nolan penned the screenplay for Fox Searchlight before directing The Dark Knight, but passed on directing this project about an abused woman so that he could focus on more personal projects. A director for The Keys to the Street has yet to be announced.

It was also noted that Gemma Arterton has recently joined Gabriel Byrne and Timothy Spall in Richard E. Grant's upcoming comedy-Western In with the Outlaws.