So many questions continue to swirl around Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, which is due in theaters next summer. Is it a prequel to Alien? Loosely connected? A completely standalone story that just happens to be set in outer space, where no one can hear you scream? Well, the first official trailer just arrived online and answers a few of those queries (while raising a million new questions as well). We wouldn’t have it any other way. Check it out either embedded below or in high-res at Apple.com.



Scott’s clearly alluding to his seminal sci-fi classic with the way the title Prometheus comes together on screen. And even his imagery, from cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, looks like it continues from Scott’s 1979 effort. Yes, there are plenty of high-tech spaceship shots, and the technology has advanced. But by first glances, this is a companion piece to Alien and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Prometheus, like Alien, also looks terrifyingly intense. It’s clear that the astronauts embarking to the deepest reaches of outer space – from Charlize Theron and Michael Fassbender to Idris Elba and Noomi Rapace – won’t like whatever creature it is that they find out there. That gonging Inception sound goes from unnerving to annoying, but that’s probably Scott’s desired effect.

Given the epic scope of the trailer, I really want to see this in a theater now. But the Internet clip likely will hold over sci-fi and Alien fans until they’re able to see the Prometheus tease on a much larger screen. Scott’s film, which was shot in 3D, will be in theaters on June 8, 2012. This trailer gets us as excited as is physically possible.