Summary
New details aboutAlien: Romulussuggest that it’s venturing into a new horror subgenre – something the franchise should’ve done to begin with. Set to be released in theaters on August 04, 2025,Alien: Romuluswill take place betweenAlienandAliensas a space crew full of fresh faces inspects a derelict old space station and encounters the bloodthirsty xenomorph.Don’t Breathe’s Fede Álvarez has assembled a cast of rising stars, including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Isabela Merced.
When Álvarez announced that he plannedto collate the best parts ofAlienandAliensinAlien: Romulus, it sparked concerns that he would just repeat what worked in the past instead of charting its own course within theAlienmythology.What madeAliensso successful was that James Cameron switched genresfrom the original’s “haunted house in space” setup to more of a high-octane action thriller. Based on the latest details aboutAlien: Romulus, it could be seeking its own genre space after all.
Alien: Romulus Is Shaping Up To Be An Alien Slasher Movie
It’s looking like a Friday the 13th movie in space
The basic premise ofAlien: Romulusis similar to previous installments: it’s about a space crew in the lonely depths of outer space coming into contact with the most terrifying lifeform in the universe. But the crew in this movie will be younger and more inexperienced than ever before. They’re not seasoned professionals like Dallas or Ripley; they’re new to the job. This focus on younger protagonists getting picked off by a vicious killer primesAlien: Romulusto be anAlienslasher movie.
In some ways,Ridley Scott’s timeless originalAlienfilmwas a slasher. It’s about a group of characters stuck in an isolated location, getting picked off one by one by a relentless killing machine. But Scott didn’t lean into the gore; he directed the film more like an Agatha Christie whodunit. And the cast is full of competent workers.By focusing on clueless twentysomething characters and leaning more heavily into the cosmic terror, Álvarez is aiming to deliver anAlienslasher movie(something this franchise should have done decades ago).
Why The Alien Franchise Needs New Genres To Thrive
There’s only so much that can be done with the original premise
After Cameron’s pivot to all-out action and Álvarez’s pivot to a blood-soaked slasher, it seems as though theAlienfranchise needs new genres to thrive. The reason for that is simple: there’s only so much that can be done with the original premise and genre framework of this franchise. The crux of the series is a killer E.T.;without resorting to fresh genres, that would get stale and repetitive real fast. With any luck,Alien: Romuluscan kickstart a second wave ofAlienfilms.
Alien: Romulus
Cast
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
