An R-rated Alien film is hardly surprising, given that each film in the franchise — Prometheus included — has carried that restricted rating. But if you were somehow concerned that Ridley Scott might be getting a bit soft, fear not, as the director assures fans that he’s not only aiming for an R-rating with Alien: Covenant, but he’s going for a “pretty hard R.”

It should be noted that the Alien films have a history of earning an R rating based mostly on violence and intense situations, not actual guts and gore, though they have pushed the limits a bit when it comes to squeamish moments of extended discomfort (like the self-surgery moment in Prometheus).

Scott would like to maintain that tone with Alien: Covenant, the first in a tentative new trilogy of Alien prequels. Speaking to reporters after he won his Golden Globe for The Martian last week, Scott said that he was thinking specifically of the iconic chest burster scene from his classic Alien film, and he wants to do something “much worse” this time around:

So far, we know that Michael Fassbender is reprising his role as the sinister synthetic David, with Noomi Rapace appearing briefly as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw. The film will take place 10 years after Prometheus, as a new crew of explorers captained by Katherine Waterston’s Daniels discover a seemingly uncharted paradise, only find that David is the planet’s only inhabitant.

Alien: Covenant hits theaters on October 6, 2017.

More From WBZN Old Town Maine