Disney recently unveiled Fede Alvarez’s forthcoming addition to the xenomorph canon. The film, titled “Alien: Romulus,” is expected to be theatrically released on August 16, 2024.
Key Takeaways:
– The new addition to the Alien franchise, titled “Alien: Romulus,” is scheduled for an August 16, 2024 release date.
– The young cast is set to play roles as scavengers on an abandoned research station. The movie will carry a violent undertone.
– The movie won’t have any linkage to prior Alien films, except for the presence of the Xenomorph.
– Despite the claims of no connection to existing films, the story is set between the original Alien and its sequel, Aliens.
– Alongside the film’s cinematic release, there is an Alien TV series in development for Hulu.
Fede Alvarez and the Young Cast
Alvarez, known for putting young actors through tough roles in his prior films Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, is expected to adopt the same approach in Alien: Romulus. Based on available data, all announced cast members are in their 20s, steering the franchise in a new direction. Instead of focusing on adults in various professional roles, the new installment will have young people at the center of the plot.
The film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, and Isabela Merced. Test screening reports suggest that Spaeny will play a leading role akin to Ripley, with Jonsson portraying her Android brother. Expectations surround the young cast playing roles of scavengers in a deserted Weyland-Yutani research station.
The Alien: Romulus Plot
After 2017’s Alien: Covenant, the Alien franchise had room for diversified directions. Ridley Scott, director of Alien, was keen on making a sequel to Alien Covenant, completing the prequel trilogy he started with Prometheus. However, Alien: Romulus’s narrative stands distinct from these options. The script penned by Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues does not link to any previous Alien movies, except for featuring a Xenomorph.
Nevertheless, this new story about a distant colony facing a Xenomorph issue creates an echo of the events on LV-426 that we saw prior to Ripley’s involvement in Aliens. Though it is not confirmed, we could witness a mid-quel that fits within the Aliens timeline.
The movie unfolds between the events of the original Alien and its sequel. A recent comment from Cailee Spaeny stoked this speculation, but no details are revealed about the plot just yet. It stirs thoughts about the possibility of inspiration from the video game Alien: Isolation, in which Ellen Ripley’s daughter ends up encountering a Xenomorph while investigating her mother’s disappearance.
The Film’s Release, Rating, and Ridley Scott’s Reaction
While Prey, last year’s new Predator movie, was released on Hulu, Disney chose a theatrical release for Alien: Romulus, a precedent set by similar films like Barbarian. Regardless of the young cast, the film is gunning for an R-rating.
Star Isabela Merced has given hints about gory scenes that could lead to this rating, fuelling rumors about a horrific xenomorph chest-burster scene. Ridley Scott, upon viewing the final version of Alien: Romulus, couldn’t hold back his praise, labeling it “f**king great.”
An Alien TV Series
In parallel to Alien: Romulus’s theatrical release, a TV series set on Earth is underway on Hulu. It is set to take place about 70 years from the present without featuring any characters from the films. So, while Alien: Romulus gears up for the big screen, fans can also expect to see xenomorph content flowing on Hulu in the near future.
Digital Chew encourages Alien franchise fans to gear up for a thrilling experience as Fede Alvarez crafts a horror-filled saga with a group of young colony residents battling a Xenomorph. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this upcoming instalment! Be sure to check back for more updates.
