The Alien franchise is returning with its seventh installment, Alien: Romulus, a highly anticipated project that continues the legacy of over four decades with its terrifying depictions of extraterrestrial life. With Evil Dead director Fede Álvarez taking the helming lead, he has unveiled a long-held secret in the franchise that even Ridley Scott chose to leave in the dark.
Scott, the mastermind behind the original Alien (1979), kept the Xenomorph’s lethal nature always in mystery. This was evident in almost all the previous installments but things are about to change. In a new interview, Álvarez reflected on uncovering the franchise’s long-held secret.
Alien: Romulus Director Reflected on Ridley Scott’s Long-Held Mystery Around The Xenomorph
Since its beginning, the Alien franchise has always thrived on suspense and the fear of the unknown. Kicking off its history with Ridley Scott‘s 1979 sci-fi horror, Alien, the franchise used darkness and silence to create a dreadful atmosphere, where the Xenomorph lurked in the shadows, to attack its prey swiftly yet brutally.
Keeping the creature’s attack often off-screen, elevated the unseen terror among the audience, which significantly helped in cementing the creature among cinema’s most terrifying monsters.
However, as the franchise evolved, fans anticipated a more explicit understanding of the Xenomorph’s brutal hunting method. As viewers are accustomed to graphic depictions of horror in modern cinema, Alien: Romulus is finally unveiling the Xenomorph’s methods.
The 2024 film director Fede Álvarez, Collider Interviews, acknowledged the significance of this long-awaited Xenomorph killing spree. He initially reflected on the creature’s behavior in the first film, stating,
The alien is so interesting; you rarely see the alien, the xenomorph, actually killing someone. You see the inner mouth coming out, boom, headshot, right? But then you don’t really see it. You just figure out a way to escape it.
Given that his methods are not shown on-screen, everyone has a different imagination on how Xenomorphs hunt their targets.
The xenomorph is really tricky. I mean, I know it will do the inner mouth in your skull thing, that’s for sure. But then there are other ways, and that is always better in your head. So, everybody has a different idea of what it is.
The glimpses provided in previous films like a tail swipe, and the infamous inner jaw attack have been more than enough to hint at how dangerous the creature really is.
But, it is still not enough to fully satisfy the curiosity of its loyal fanbase. But, the upcoming movie will finally unveil the real terror of the extraterritorial creature.
Alien: Romulus Will Unveil Xenomorph’s Killing Method
In the same interview, the director made a candid confession about unraveling the mystery around the monster’s killing methods, meaning that his hunting process will be evident on-screen. This could be a big moment for dedicated fans, who have long been waiting for the creature to hunt its prey on camera.
After explaining how the franchise treated the character in the previous films, Cailee Spaeny starrer is going to show what the alien actually does with its prey. He shared,
We’re probably doing that in this movie. Without spoiling it, we actually got there, and we show a few times what the xenomorph does to people when it actually gets to you, and you keep rolling, and you keep showing it.
By showing the full extent of the Xenomorph’s killing methods, the upcoming project will likely enhance its status as a truly terrifying antagonist. While initially imagining what it does to its prey, viewers will be acutely aware of the gory fate that awaits the characters.
Alien: Romulus is set to hit the screens on 16 August 2024.
