Claim: Prometheus had extensive design phases.

Prometheus -LRB- -LSB- prəˈmiːθiəs -RSB- -RRB- is a 2012 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott , written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof and starring Noomi Rapace , Michael Fassbender , Guy Pearce , Idris Elba , Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron . It is set in the late 21st century and centers on the crew of the spaceship Prometheus as it follows a star map discovered among the artifacts of several ancient Earth cultures . Seeking the origins of humanity , the crew arrives on a distant world and discovers a threat that could cause the extinction of the human species .   Development of the film began in the early 2000s as a fifth installment in the Alien franchise . Scott and director James Cameron developed ideas for a film that would serve as a prequel to Scott 's 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien . By 2003 , the development of Alien vs. Predator took precedence , and the project remained dormant until 2009 when Scott again showed interest . Spaihts wrote a script for a prequel to the events of the Alien films , but Scott opted for a different direction to avoid repeating cues from those films . In late 2010 , Lindelof joined the project to rewrite Spaihts 's script , and he and Scott developed a story that precedes the story of Alien but is not directly connected to that franchise . According to Scott , although the film shares `` strands of Aliens DNA , so to speak '' , and takes place in the same universe , Prometheus explores its own mythology and ideas .   Prometheus entered production in April 2010 , with extensive design phases during which the technology and creatures that the film required were developed . Principal photography began in March 2011 , with an estimated US$ 120 -- 130 million budget . The project was shot using 3D cameras throughout , almost entirely on practical sets , and on location in England , Iceland , Spain , and Scotland . It was promoted with a marketing campaign that included viral activities on the web . Three videos featuring the film 's leading actors in character , which expanded on elements of the fictional universe , were released and met with a generally positive reception and awards .   Prometheus was released on June 1 , 2012 , in the United Kingdom and on June 8 , 2012 , in North America . The film received praise for the aesthetic design and the acting , especially Fassbender 's performance as the android David , while plot elements that remained unresolved or predictable were the main source of criticism . The film grossed over $ 403 million worldwide . A sequel , Alien : Covenant , was released in the U.S. on May 19 , 2017 .