By 2014, development on the second prequel was underway, with Scott returning as director. The film's screenplay was initially written by Jack Paglen in 2013, but was subsequently rewritten by Michael Green and Dante Harper, before Scott's collaborator from "Gladiator", John Logan, wrote the final version. The film, titled "", commenced production in February 2016 and was released on May 19, 2017. "Alien: Covenant" was a box office disappointment, grossing $240.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $97 million, while also receiving lukewarm critical reviews. The story of the prequel series centers around the android David 8, and two crews he accompanies on expeditions to meet the mysterious Engineers.