A classic sci-fi horror franchise is reborn in the upcoming Alien: Romulus. Evil Dead and Don't Breathe director Fede Alvarez locates the next Alien chapter in the 57-year gap between the events of Alien (1979), directed by Ridley Scott, and Aliens (1986), directed by James Cameron.
In that gap, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) was cast adrift in deep space as the sole survivor of Nostromo, the crew of which was slaughtered by the alien. Alvarez's movie, a purported standalone entry, runs alongside these canonical events and introduces us to another ill-fated crew who soon fall foul of face-huggers and acid-blooded xenomorphs aplenty. And we've now got the first trailer for you to watch, plus a spine-tingling new poster.
The sparky cast is led by Priscilla star Cailee Spaeney (soon to be seen in Alex Garland's Civil War) who wields an assault rifle with aplomb as she attempts to survive the alien's horrific onslaught. The excellent cast also includes David Jonsson, the star of last year's wonderful Rye Lane, and Isabela Merced, recently seen in Madame Web.
"They brought the same team from Aliens, the James Cameron film. The same people who built those Xenomorphs actually came on and built ours," Spaeney explained. "So getting to see the original design with the original people who have been working on these films for 45-plus years and has been so much of their life has been really incredible."
Ridley Scott is on board as a producer, which hopefully guarantees some degree of thematic and aesthetic continuity with his groundbreaking 1979 horror masterpiece, one that set the Alien franchise in motion. And given Fede Alvarez's penchant for both blood-curdling gore and ruthless suspense, he would appear to be the ideal person to helm the next terrifying chapter in the Alien saga.
Watch the trailer below if you dare. Alien: Romulus is released on August 16th. If that seems too far away then click the link below to discover 2024's upcoming horror releases.
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