Alien: Romulus dropped its first teaser this week giving viewers a glimpse of the horrors that await them on a space station swarmed with one of the deadliest alien species. The upcoming film is the seventh installment in the Alien franchise (excluding the crossover movies), which began with 1979’s Alien directed by Ridley Scott.
While fans might be excited about the project because of its connection to Scott’s films in the franchise, the acclaimed director only serves as a producer this time. Instead, director Fede Álvarez, who is known for his work on some of the best horror films of the past decades, is helming the project. Here is why Fede Álvarez is the key factor behind the hype for Alien: Romulus.
Fede Álvarez Directing Alien: Romulus Should Have Horror Fans Super Hyped
In March 2022, Fede Álvarez was announced as the director of the next entry in the Alien franchise. The film was officially titled Alien: Romulus, with Ridley Scott, who directed the first film and its two prequels, serving as a producer.
Alien is a horror franchise, with science-fiction elements, exploring the conflict between humans and aliens. Directors such as Scott, James Cameron, and David Fincher each have presented their own interpretations of the basic concept with some focusing more on the sci-fi aspects over the horror.
However, if Álvarez’s resume is any indication, the franchise is certainly returning to its survival horror roots with the new installment. Álvarez made his feature film directorial debut with 2013’s Evil Dead, which is a reimagining of Sam Raimi’s iconic 1981 horror film The Evil Dead.
Álvarez also directed both installments in the Don’t Breathe franchise, which emerged as critical and commercial successes. Thus, Álvarez’s filmography clearly indicates that he is capable of handling the legacy elements of a franchise while delivering the perfect concoction of supernatural horror in a survival story with high stakes.
Alien: Romulus‘ Setting Makes It the Perfect Canvas For Fede Álvarez
Álvarez has proven himself as a master of jump scares, which were the key aspect of the original film’s success. The same is evident in the brief teaser for Alien: Romulus, which has a gritty and grounded feel like the original. Its atmosphere certainly calls for some genuinely scary moments as the xenomorphs chase the main characters on a space station.
Furthermore, the film will be set between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens. The interquel is expected to be a standalone survival horror movie, allowing Álvarez to craft his own unique take on the franchise. Álvarez has also confirmed that the film’s gnarly alien attack scenes were filmed with practical effects as much as possible, resulting in the gritty look we see in the teaser.
At the same time, the film’s title teases a deeper connection to the sci-fi elements of the franchise. Álvarez has stated that the film draws inspiration from the Romulus and Remus myth, which will tie into the experimentations of Weyland-Yutani. The corporation is a franchise mainstay and its presence in the film indicates Álvarez has at least a couple of plot twists up his sleeve to blow the audiences away.
Alien: Romulus is set to release in theaters on August 16, 2024.
