After seven long years, Alien: Romulus takes fans back to the Alien franchise which features the struggles of humanity against the Xenomorph. The film follows a group of space colonists who stumble upon something far worse than a lack of Wi-Fi – a terrifying alien life form.
Director Fede Alvarez, known for his bone-chilling films, added a whole new layer of terror to the movie, with his use of practical effects. He is raising the scare factor with the practical effects of Facehugger, which is his creepy crawly companion.
RC Facehugger is Fede Alvarez’ Favorite Toy on Set of Alien Romulus
To celebrate Alien Day, director Fede Álvarez shared a behind-the-scenes video on social media that showed the crew of Alien: Romulus playing with an RC-controlled Facehugger. The Facehugger was created by the legendary Weta Workshop. The video shows the creature skittering around on the floor with two of its legs constantly moving up and down, which looks way more terrifying when you know that it’s not CGI.
Playing with my favorite toy on set of #AlienRomulus last summer. RC Facehugger created by the amazing team from @wetaworkshop Happy #AlienDay everybody! pic.twitter.com/XKqc5StFtR
— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) April 26, 2024
Álvarez said in the video “Playing with my favorite toy on set of #Alien: Romulus last summer.” These creatures are the second stage in the life cycle of a Xenomorph and do not have many attacking abilities. However, they do not even need any such abilities as the way they crawl is terrifying in itself.
What is Alien: Romulus About?
Alien: Romulus, the upcoming seventh installment in the Alien franchise, is gearing up for a theatrical release this August. Set between the events of the original Alien (1979) and its sequel Aliens (1986), the film follows a group of young space colonists who stumble upon a horrifying alien life form.
While details about the specific creature remain under wraps, it’s likely they’ll encounter the terrifying Xenomorphs the franchise is famous for. The film’s official synopsis lists these creatures as the most terrifying life forms in the universe. Another exciting thing is the director has promised that every creature in the movie is real and there’s no green screen while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I have this obsession with no green screens, so we built every creature and set. Everything had to be built so we were really living and breathing in these spaces.”
Originally planned for a Hulu release, Alien: Romulus was switched to a theatrical release scheduled for August 16, 2024. Fede Álvarez, known for horror films like Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, helms the movie while Cailee Spaeny, David Johnson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn join the cast in major roles.
