Twentieth Century Fox is apparently eying "Monster" actress Charlize Theron for a starring role in Ridley Scott’s "Alien" prequel, according to Vulture.

Scott has other ideas though. He is seeking Scandinavian actress Noomi Rapace -- who played Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish-language "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" -- for the prequel’s main character, Elizabeth Shaw.

However, Fox executives are reportedly nervous about Scott's costly picture, especially if it's spearheaded by lesser-known actors, which he is keen to do.

Vulture reports that Fox is having the role tweaked so that it carries appropriate weight for an actress of Theron’s stature. A decision on her involvement is expected soon.

In addition to seeking Rapace's involvement, Scott is looking to attract a multicultural crew to battle the aliens, with Michelle Yeoh ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and Michael Fassbender ("Inglourious Basterds") up for possible roles.

Set about 35 years prior to the events of "Alien," the prequel involves an era where the infamous Weyland-Yutani corporation is in its infancy of encouraging mankind to seek new planets. Much of the story, which Damon Lindelof ("Lost") rewrote from a script by Jon Spaihts, centers on the discovery of who crewed the mysterious alien ship from the original film.

In an interview with The Independent last year, Scott said he envisions a film that is "really tough, really nasty. It's the dark side of the moon. We are talking about gods and engineers. Engineers of space."