Back in October, we brought you a report that director Ridley Scott had his sights set on Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Untitled Sherlock Holmes Sequel) for the lead role in his forthcoming 3D Alien prequel at 20th Century Fox. Then, just last month, among a flurry of other questionable rumors about the film, we brought you a report that H.R. Giger‘s wife, Carmen Scheifele said that her Academy Award winning husband and visual effects artist was working on Ridley Scott‘s Alien prequel.

Now, it seems the Alien Prequel that the director said was “really tough, really nasty. It’s the dark side of the moon. We are talking about gods and engineers. Engineers of space. And were the aliens designed as a form of biological warfare? Or biology that would go in and clean up a planet?” is completely dead… from a certain point of view.

While the The Alien prequel was set to be Scott’s first foray back into the world of the facehugger since 1979, among the most hotly anticipated sci-fi movies in recent memory and Scott’s first science fiction movie since 1982’s Blade Runner, 20th Century Fox took to Twitter to announce that instead of the Alien prequel, “Ridley Scott’s next film is the science fiction epic “Prometheus.” Noomi Rapace is first to sign on to star. For release on March 9, 2012.”

So, what the hell is Prometheus? Lets ask Ridley Scott, shall we?

Scott told Deadline,

“While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien’s DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn’t be more pleased to have found the singular tale I’d been searching for, and finally return to this genre that’s so close to my heart.”

Damon Lindelof (Lost, Untitled Star Trek Sequel, Cowboys & Aliens) jumped aboard to work with Scott and rewrite Jon Spaihts‘ draft of the Alien prequel’s script quite some time ago, and Lindelof says,

“In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley’s vision was for this movie. It’s daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in my wildest imagination I would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short of a dream come true.”

As stated in the 20th Century Fox tweet, Noomi Rapace has been cast in the lead role. The actress will portray a scientist named Elizabeth Shaw. There are four more big roles in the film and one of those roles is that of Vickers, another female lead role that Angelina Jolie (Salt, The Tourist) and Charlize Theron (Young Adult, Mad Max: Fury Road) are both reportedly circling.

Prometheus – (formerly known as Untitled Alien Prequel #1) is slated to hit theaters on March 9, 2012.