Alien: Romulus Star Claims the New Film Checks All Fan Boxes. Why That Scares Me More Than A Facehugger
Ryan LaBee
22 April 2024·3-min read
The line between homage and pandering can often become blurred, and the upcoming Alien: Romulus has stirred up a simmering pot of expectations and reservations among the Alien Saga’s fanbase and myself. Cailee Spaeny, leading the cast of this newest installment, has confidently stated that the film will “check all the fan boxes.” While this promise is tantalizing, it raises the alarm in my xenomorph-lovin’ noggin—could Romulus fall into the same trap as its predecessor, Alien: Covenant, by focusing too much on fan service at the expense of genuine storytelling?
By my estimation, the alien movies together compile one of the best horror movie franchises. Much like Pizza, even a bad Alien movie is still pretty good–looking at you, Alien Resurrection. Spaeny’s recent comments to CinePOP are both reassuring and slightly concerning. She told the outlet:
I don’t think I can say much, but I already delivered something, so I’ll just repeat it. It takes place between Alien and Aliens, in terms of plot and chronology. But we have an incredible cast, some new faces. The Facehuggers are there. You will get everything you want from the film. Fede Alvarez is an incredible director who has so much respect for this franchise and this world. He knows everything about the Alien franchise like the back of his hand. All Alien fans will have everything they want.
The commitment to respecting the franchise’s roots while introducing new elements could be the formula for Romulus’s success. Yet, therein lies a potential pitfall—the delicate balance between innovation and tradition. The Alien series, at its core, has always been a trendsetter in the sci-fi horror genre. From Ridley Scott’s chillingly atmospheric original to James Cameron’s action-oriented sequel, the first two installments added something fresh to the blueprint Scott laid down in 1979.
Alien: Covenant, despite its merits, including our own mostly positive 3.5-star review of the movie, faced criticism for leaning heavily into familiar tropes and echoes of its predecessors, seemingly in a bid to appease dissatisfied fans of Prometheus, which ultimately led to a disappointing box office performance. The result felt somewhat manufactured, a collage of the saga’s greatest hits without the soul that made the better films of the franchise stand out. The fear is that Alien: Romulus might prioritize ticking off a checklist of expected features and, much like Covenant, come across as a retread of the 1978 original or Cameron’s sequel. I hope the filmmakers have prioritized crafting a compelling narrative that pushes the series’ boundaries.
Yet, there is hope. Alvarez’s track record suggests a director who can marry a respect for the source material with his own unique vision. If anyone can navigate the treacherous waters of fan expectations and narrative innovation, it might be him, considering how well he tackled the surprisingly great 2013 remake of Evil Dead. The mention of “new faces” and placement in the confusing Alien franchise timeline, which is ripe with potential, and also bodes well for the film. This setting allows Romulus to explore untold stories and expand the universe in ways that even the best Alien movies may not have been able to.
Ultimately, the success of Alien: Romulus will hinge on its ability to innovate within the confines of its iconic predecessors’ shadows. Fans like myself do not just want another Alien movie; they want an Alien movie that moves the genre and the series forward while respecting its past. So here’s hoping Alvarez and crew are up to the challenge.
Alien: Romulus is set to hit the 2024 movie schedule on August 16th. Be sure also to check out our list of upcoming horror movies to see what other scary flicks are headed to a theater near you.
September 7, 2020by: Danilo Castro
We’ve got some bad news for you about the new ‘Alien’ movies
Alien is back. Ridley Scott confirmed that he will direct the next film in the science fiction franchise, but he won’t be utilizing characters from the past two sequels. Scott told Movie Web the next installment will “reinvent the wheel” in terms of theme and relevance to the larger Alien timeline.
Scott’s announcement comes as bad news to some fans and good news to others. The first Alien prequel, Prometheus, was released to a divided audience in 2012, but its reputation has improved, and the film has developed a cult following in the years since. Alien: Covenant followed the surviving characters of Prometheus in 2017, and while it earned positive reviews from critics, it under performed at the box office.
Given the divisive response to the first two-thirds of Scott’s prequel trilogy, it makes sense that he’s looking to change his approach. “We went down a route to try and reinvent the wheel with Prometheus and Covenant,” he explained. “Whether or not we go directly back to that is doubtful because Prometheus woke it up very well.”
Evolving the franchise
Scott’s new changes mark the latest in a series of revisions made to the prequel trilogy. He originally planned to release a sequel to Prometheus called Paradise Lost, but the negative response to the first film led to him retooling it as Alien: Covenant. Many of the subplots and characters from Prometheus were dropped or relegated to deleted scenes as a result.
“I still think there’s a lot of mileage in Alien, but I think you’ll have to now re-evolve,” the director told The Los Angeles Times. “What I always thought when I was making it, the first one, why would a creature like this be made and why was it traveling in what I always thought was a kind of war-craft. What was the purpose of the vehicle and what was the purpose of the eggs? That’s the thing to question: for what purpose is the next idea?”
Scott told Little White Lies he was working on a script for the third film as early as 2018, and he intended to start production during the first half of 2019. Scott’s decision to helm the drama All the Money in the World delayed pre-production on the film, however, and he’s still waiting on a green light from 20th Century Fox.
Production setbacks
The working title for the next film is Alien: Awakening, and Scott claimed it will link the prequel trilogy to the events of the 1979 original. He told Cinema Blend he considered bringing Sigourney Weaver back to reprise her iconic character Ripley; albeit with CGI technology to make her look younger.
“We’re heading toward the back end of the first Alien so [using CG] may be feasible. Ripley’s going to be somebody’s daughter, obviously,” Scott revealed. “We’re coming in from the back end. The time constraints of what’s the time between this film, where we leave David going off heading for that colony, I think you’re probably two films out from even considering her.”
As we previously mentioned, however, Scott is prone to changing his mind, so these details should be taken with a grain of salt. Weaver recently talked to Empire about the possibility of returning to Alien and she admitted to being “unenthused” by the idea. “I don’t know, Ridley has gone in a different direction,” she reasoned. “Maybe Ripley has done her bit – she deserves a rest.”
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While Scott’s “new” direction may upset fans who have passionately kept up with the franchise, they can take solace in the fact a more familiar Alien film may be in the works. Franchise producer Walter Hill has penned an eighty-page treatment for a fifth Alien movie, which would retcon the events of the poorly-received sequels Alien 3 (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997).
Neill Blomkamp was slated to direct Alien 5 back in 2015, but the film was shelved when Scott announced his plans to make another prequel. Blomkamp and Hill have continued to work on the script, however, and James Cameron recently hinted at the possibility he would get the film back on track. Cameron told IGN he was “actively working” with Blomkamp to give Aliens (1986) the sequel it deserved.Share via:
TagsAlienAlien: AwakeningAlien: CovenantAll the Money in the WorldJames CameronNeill BlomkampPrometheusRidley ScottSigourney WeaverThe most controversial self-pleasure scenes in movie history – Film DailyHollywood has had its controversies regarding “me” time. Brace yourself, because here’s our ranking of the ten most controversial self-pleasure scenes.Film DailyPeople Aged 41-69 Are In For A Treat This MarchReassured|SponsoredMOST POPULAR“Watch” “Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)” Online Free Streaming: At HomeFilm DailyMOST POPULARWe’re 100% going to hell for laughing at these dark humor jokes – Film DailyFilm Daily(LEAKED.HD)!#Godzilla vs Kong Full Movie (2021) Watch Online FreeIn ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’, the gang is back but the game has changed. Here’s how you can watch the full movie online now.Film DailyRanking every ‘Alien’ and ‘Predator’ film from worst to bestFilm Daily(WATCH) Godzilla vs Kong streaming full movie 2021 online freeFilm DailyHow to watch ‘Godzilla vs Kong: 2021 for free streaming?‘Godzilla vs Kong’ is finally here. Find out how to watch the blockbuster sequel online for free.Film DailyHow To Watch “Zack Snyder Justice League” Full: For FreeFilm Daily(FULL MOVIE)#Godzilla vs Kong (2021) Watch On Streaming OnlineFilm DailyWatch Zack Snyder’s Justice League Full Action Movie Online StreamStill need to catch ‘Justice League: The Snyder Cut’ but don’t know how to tune in? See how to watch for free from anywhere in the world right now.Film Dailyabout:blank
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Danilo Castro
Danilo is a freelance writer and proponent of all things film noir. He spends his free time podcasting, reading about the 60s, and forcing himself to watch new films in lieu of ‘The Office’ (again).
dcastro@filmdaily.coComments
RyReply /Wheres the bad news? The director who created the Alien franchise will continue his masterpiece that he started with the first movie. Pop the champagne!The only ppl that did not like his Alien movies were pseudo fans that wanted everything to be derivative garbage like every Disney Star Wars movie ever.October 30, 2020
EricReply /I agree with RY, I don’t see any bad news here. Now that some time has passed people seem to be accepting Prometheus and Covenant quite a lot more. Personally I quite enjoyed the films (albeit a few issues here and there).November 5, 2020
LucasReply /I agree with Ry and Eric no bad news here. I too liked the movies but I thought they could be better. I liked the characters but I was left wondering why the disease that David later turned into the Xenomorphs was even created but since the engineers that created the disease were ended at the hands of David we may never know.March 15, 2021
Steve SmithReply /Both films left a bad taste in my mouth, but especially Covenant.November 9, 2020
DregReply /Can’t wait-awesome news….Michael is cool!?:)November 9, 2020
Bruce HanksReply /For the love of God….please finish the sequels: and connect them to the original Alien! Hell, we’ve only waited 40 years for this!!! Please quit messing around and get this done!November 10, 2020
Tyresa LangReply /I’m so stoked for another movie! I am a huge fan and even love the prequels! Let’s get on the ball guys I’m excited!!😁November 11, 2020
NigelReply /I personally did not like the Covenant, I actually could not follow it well.Prometheus was hit and miss, but ultimately it was the game changer that explains everything well, from Ash with a mission of his own, etc.. and how such an Alien could have been created and then take on a different form post coming out of the pods as Face Huggers.Please do connect them together that would help a lot.Just don’t make it comical and weird like Alien Erection (Resurrection). I am not sure why people gave it that pen name?November 13, 2020
AngrierReply /I’d like to see much more about those engineers how they live how they are with each other, be cool showing flash backs of them looking over earth watching humans in war with each other so they decide to make another species, it would be interesting to see there reaction finding out the second species they created after humans were wiped out by david. The predators would be interesting if there history with the engineers would be shown maybe the engineers had the intention of creating those aliens to destroy the predators home planets i don’t know those engineers are under rated and need explored, great films.December 17, 2020
ScottReply /I think the way that making films more into Netflix/Disney+/Apple long series is the way to go for the Alien franchise. You could do so much with it and there are so many talented writers with a passion for the franchise that could help.January 2, 2021
DabrigadierReply /Prometheus was the best alien movie ever. It explored what all human want to know and that’s where we come from. I want him to continue that theme. It seems to be based somewhat on the Sumerian text about the Annunaki. Either way it’s the best movie he has ever done because he tried something new and now it has an enormous cult following.January 25, 2021
AlienbesteverReply /Agree with Danrigadier, Prometheus was my fav. High budget, great acting, decent plot. I think killing off Noomi Rapace was the dumbest move ever in Covenant. She’s not only a great actress but brought depth of character not seen in previous Alien movies.February 28, 2021
RickinatorReply /After having just rewatching Prometheus and Covenant for the first time, I am confident that the series is in Ridley Scott’s hands. Prometheus dealt with origins and despite his original wish was for a second chapter, I feel that he did well with the continuation in Covenant. I felt that Prometheus could have been a stronger, i.e. darker movie and I favor Covenant out of the two, but again, I am confident in Ridley Scott and his more than capable hands.February 28, 2021
FredReply /Prometheus Is Great And I Literally Just Saw Covenant For The Second Time And It’s Actually Pretty Good! I’m Confident The 3rd Film Will Be Great Especially If It Connects To 79’ Alien FilmMarch 15, 2021
willReply /Alien is one of the best movie series, and it is gonna be brilliant when it releases. Also, Why is it being bought by Disney? It’s gonna go to Disney + and Will lose its scary Tone and atmosphere, And also silly stupid kids will watch it and complain to Disney about it. I honestly would say don’t accept The Disney collab because More people will hate on it. Just make ridley scott direct it and its gonna be Way better than Alien covenant(Incredible movie)March 26, 2021
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