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In the original Alien, the murderous android Ash admired the creature as the perfect organism. No beast becomes what it is without a long period of evolution, and the Alien franchise is no exception. Starting with Ridley Scott’s classic in 1979, Alien: Romulus will become the seventh film in the decades-spanning series (or ninth, if you count the Alien vs. Predator entries).
While director Fede Álvarez has set out to return Alien to its claustrophobic sci-fi horror roots, he’s also engineered Romulus to attract a new audience. Álvarez is no stranger to updating franchises for the modern age, having done so with bloody abandon in 2013’s Evil Dead.
Álvarez acknowledges the complex history of the Alien series, including the mixed reception of entries such as Alien³ and Alien: Resurrection. While speaking to Variety, he reflected, “We kept a lot of the perfect elements from those original movies untouched because we didn’t need to improve them, but then we added a lot of new stuff. That’s what makes it modern and new.”
Archie Renaux as Tyler and Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine in ‘Alien: Romulus’
He continues, “Hopefully, it takes its place among the others, and for me, it’s never a bad time in theatres when you’re watching an Alien movie.”
One major change in Alien: Romulus is the shift in focus to a set of younger characters. The film introduces a group of frontier colonists who are on the brink of adulthood, dealing with the harsh realities of their environment. As he did with Evil Dead, Álvarez aims to accentuate the loss of innocence and heighten the emotional stakes in a way the series hasn’t seen since Alien³.
Álvarez told the publication, “As a rule of thumb, in horror, the younger the people, the tougher it is to watch them die. Let’s agree on that. An 80-year-old man dies on screen; you lived a good life. [If a] 12-year-old kid dies in a movie, it’s heartbreaking.”
When discussing casting choices, Álvarez emphasises the importance of hiring individuals who are not only talented but also deeply passionate about Alien. He describes his approach as selective, choosing those who truly understand and respect the Alien universe. Speaking with Perfect Organism: The Alien Saga Podcast, Álvarez states, “You want to make sure the person that you hire will love the franchise.”
He elaborates on the trials of casting: “This actor came in and said, ‘I’m such a huge fan. I love this movie, but there are a few I haven’t seen,’ which is already a red flag. You’re a big fan, and you haven’t seen all of them. So, then he says, ‘Yeah, I’ve just seen the original two, Prometheus, and Covenant.’ You’re not getting the role.”
Getting the human element right is important, but as an Alien film, it’s perhaps more crucial to nail the creature. A significant part of Álvarez’s approach was rooted in practical effects. He highlights to GamesRadar+, “Just like anybody else, I’ve been appalled by bad CGI in movies that have ruined my experience of them.” The film features extensive use of animatronics, with Weta Workshop handling the Facehuggers and Shane Mahan, known for sculpting the Queen’s head in Aliens, overseeing the Xenomorphs. Every Alien film has shown us a new iteration of the creature, and Romulus will be no exception.
Álvarez and his team’s enthusiasm for the project and the franchise is clear. They have a personal connection to the material and a desire for their entry to evoke strong reactions from audiences. In the same Perfect Organism interview, Alvarez says, “I hope you love it, and if you don’t, I hope you hate it, but I hope you really hate it with all your heart because the worst thing for me is indifference.”
By all appearances, Alien: Romulus looks set to take the franchise in promising new directions while staying true to what made the originals classic in the first place. Don’t worry, Fede; we think we’re going to love it!
‘Alien: Romulus’ is in cinemas now!
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LEAD IMAGE: Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine in Alien: Romulus
