Add two more names to the Alien prequel rumor mill, folks: Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) is the latest actress mentioned in connection with Ridley Scott's return to the sci-fi franchise, while James Franco (Spider-Man) is also reportedly up for a role.

Bloody Disgusting reports that Hathaway and Franco "could be suiting up for the prequel," though neither are signed at this point. They join a continually growing list of rumored candidates including Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Carey Mulligan (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps).

Although the commonly held belief is that Portman, Rapace, Mulligan and Hathaway are vying for the same role, what if more than one of these actresses joins the franchise? It goes without saying that Sigourney Weaver's shoes won't be easy to fill, but perhaps relying on a talented ensemble of actors rather than a virtual Ripley replacement is the right way to go. With Scott at the helm and a cast that includes names like Hathaway and Portman -- or any other mixture of those actors -- I think the Alien prequel could actually be quite interesting.

(Or maybe that's just wishful thinking coming from an Aliens fan desperate to see a good movie come out of that franchise again. Yeah, it's probably that.)