It is no secret that the Alien franchise has a thing for going after Roman/Greek names. Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez noted that the infamous Weyland-Yutani Corporation had a thing for Roman names, with many of their planets borrowing the names of Roman rivers. Promotheus was another name which has been borrowed from Greek mythology. Following closely in the footsteps of the franchise, the latest entrant has been titled Alien: Romulus. But Àlvarez has revealed that there is a good reason behind borrowing the name of the founder of the Roman empire.
Alien: Romulus revolves around a relatively young bunch
Alien: Romulus is set in the time between the events of Alien and Aliens, narrating the story of a band of 6 people who find themselves aboard the space station Renaissance, trying to get a better life than what they’ve known at Jackson’s star. Little did they know what trouble they were walking into.
The cast, starring Cailee Spaeny, David Johnson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu, has a daunting task of living upto the expectations of the fans of the franchise. And Director Fede Àlvarez‘s vision will be central to their success. The Don’t Breathe director comes with proven pedigree after all, having dished out successful horror flicks one after the other.
Fede Àlvarez was looking to add some new dynamics to Alien: Romulus
Whether or not Fede Àlvarez can deliver with the Aliens franchise is an answer we’ll find soon enough. But if his interactions are anything to go by, the Uruguayan might be very well poised to do just that, having grasped the essence of the franchise, and taking that a step further. He told Variety,
“We kept a lot of the perfect elements about those original movies untouched because we didn’t need to improve them, but then we had a lot of new stuff.”
One such factor is about to be the relation between the leading members of the cast, with the six characters forming three set of siblings (some related by blood, and some by growing up together). And the title of the movie signals that the end for them might not be really sweet.
Why Alien: Romulus?
In Roman mythology, Remus and Romulus were two brothers who were raised by a she-wolf. The former was slain by the latter, who would go on to lay the foundation of Rome. The Renaissance, the space station featured in the movie, is divided into two sections, named Romulus and Remus. But Àlvarez was quick to hint that it might not be the only relation between the movie and the title.
Explaining the title in an interview with SFX Magazine, Fede Àlvarez said,
“The six main characters are, in a way, three pairs of different aspects of siblinghood… (The film will explore) people honoring the concept of being someone’s brother or sister, and people neglecting that.”
Another angle to explain the title is to look at the activities of Weyland-Yutani. He continued,
“(It) also has to do with the big picture of what Weyland-Yutani’s doing, and humans stealing the gift of a stronger species — breastfeeding from the she-wolf.”
The 46-year-old has given fans a lot to think about, making them wonder how the film will pan out for a young cast which is heading towards its death. That remains to be seen.
