Summary
Alien: Romulusdirector Fede Álvarez is setting out to combine the best parts ofAlienandAliens– but this seemingly smart approach could end up backfiring on Disney’s reboot. Set for theatrical release on June 26, 2025,Alien: Romulusrevolves around an unsuspecting space crew who encounter the most terrifying lifeform in the universe – the dreaded xenomorph – while inspecting a dilapidated old space station. Álvarez has assembled an exciting cast of up-and-coming stars to round out the crew, including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Isabela Merced.
The originalAlienmovie and its first sequel,Aliens, are considered to be the pinnacle of the franchise by far, with every subsequent entry failing to reach their levels of greatness. In order to finally contend with the first twoAlienfilms,Álvarez toldEmpirethat he’s mixing the best parts ofAlienwiththe best parts ofAliensfor a best-of-both-worlds approach. While this might seem like a no-brainer,AlienandAliensare so different that combining their styles might end up hurting the new movie.
Every Alien Movie, Ranked By Scariness
Some Alien films, like the groundbreaking original and its intense sequel, are a lot scarier than others, like straightforward sci-fi epic Prometheus.
The High-Octane Action Of Aliens Might Undermine The Claustrophobic Terror Of Alien
While it was written to be a gory, schlocky B-movie, Ridley Scott elevatedAlienwith his razor-sharp approach to the material. He directedAlienessentially asAnd Then There Were Nonein space – more of a whodunit than a monster movie – and the result was a masterclass in cinematic tension. WhenJames Cameron was tapped to direct the sequel, he knew he couldn’t make another haunted-house-in-space movie as intense as Scott’s, so he madeAliensas a fast-paced, gun-toting action thriller instead.
It might seem like a good idea to combine the haunted-house thrills ofAlienwith the trigger-happy Marine action ofAliens, butthose two styles are so different that they might cancel each other out. The high-octane action spectacle ofAlienscould undermine the claustrophobic terror ofAlien. And the slow-burn intensity ofAliencould undermine the all-out humans-versus-aliens war ofAliens. These two styles might not work if they’re crammed into the same movie.
Alien: Romulus Should Find Its Own Style, Not Repeat The Past
Rather than relying on what worked in the past,Alien: Romulusshould be charting its own path and finding its own style.Álvarez could’ve found a new genre to explore like Cameron didwithAliens. By embracing the safety of the past,Alien: Romulusmight have the same problem asStar Wars: The Force Awakens.The Force Awakenswas essentially a greatest-hits montage of the bestStar Warsmoments, and it ultimately failed in its mission to bring the franchise into a brave new era.
Alien: Romulus
Cast
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
