Last summer's sci-fi epic "Prometheus" wasn't exactly universally loved, but one thing has to be said for it: It certainly got people talking. And that talking is still going on, as one rumor or report after another about the upcoming sequel "Prometheus 2" seems to hit the internet every other day.

So why should today be any different? This week's big "Prometheus 2" news: Damon Lindelof has explained at length to Slash Film just why "Prometheus 2" isn't "Alien," why he's not writing it and why anybody who blames him for "Prometheus 2" sucking even before it exists is probably mental.

First, some quick backstory: Bloody Disgusting recently ran a story saying that production on "Prometheus 2" had devolved into a complete mess because of the way Lindelof set up the ending to "Prometheus," which does not lead into "Alien" but rather sets up its own sequel. And since Lindelof isn't writing "Prometheus 2," nobody including director Ridley Scott knows where the story is supposed to go, so there's wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth and renting of garments all over Hollywood.

Okay, got it? Well, Lindelof says that's all a bunch of complete crap. [note: Spoilers for "Prometheus" follow]

"During the creative process of Prometheus, all involved (that includes Fox and Ridley) had a strong desire for this film to launch off in its own way so that by the end, it would not connect directly to the original 'Alien,' but instead run parallel to it," Lindelof said. "Taking the strong foundation that Jon Spaihts had already written, I worked on the script to this end — and yes, during that process, Ridley did occasionally riff on what he felt might happen next as Shaw and David's Head ventured off of LV-223 in search of wherever The Engineers had come from."

So far so good, right? But according to Lindelof, a simple scheduling problem derailed the happy train to sequel town: Lindelof was committed to the Brad Bird project "Tomorrowland," while Scott had already lined up both "The Counselor" and "Child 44." As a result, Lindelof decided it would do a disservice to "Prometheus 2" if he tried to cram it in alongside all their other projects.

"As to whether Ridley and Fox are 'freaking out' about me not working on a sequel, well that's news to me," Lindelof said. "I retain awesome relationships with both. More importantly, the idea that there aren’t many, MANY writers out there capable of taking the reins is sort of ridiculous. I did not map out a trilogy and then walk when the going got tough. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know me and doesn’t know the truth."

So there you have it, discussion over.

Until the next rumors hit, of course. See you then!