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Everything you need to know about Alien: Romulus

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A man helps a woman point a gun in Alien: Romulus.
20th Century Studios

There’s a distinction that few people make with Alien‘s famous “In space, no one can hear you scream” tagline. That statement is only true in the vacuum of space. Inside of a spaceship, the screams are perfectly audible, and it sounds like there’s going to be a lot of screaming in the next film in the series, Alien: Romulus.

It’s no secret that the films after Ridley Scott’s Alien embraced action over horror. But Alien: Romulus is getting back to the franchise’s horror roots thanks to director and co-writer Fede Álvarez. Prior to this film, Álvarez established himself in the horror genre with his terrific remake of Evil Dead as well as his original film Don’t Breathe. That’s the sensibility that Álvarez is bringing to Alien: Romulus.

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Alien: Romulus was originally conceived as a direct-to-Hulu movie, which was upgraded to a theatrical release before production began. That’s going to make it the first time in seven years that the franchise will be back on the big screen. To help you prepare for the return of the Xenomorphs, we’re sharing everything you need to know about Alien: Romulus.

What is Alien: Romulus about?

An alien prepares to attack a woman tied up.
20th Century Studios

At the moment, story details about Romulus are pretty light. The official synopsis via 20th Century Studios reads: “While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”

Alien: Romulus will focus on a much younger cast of characters than its predecessors. The space colonists plan to steal an abandoned ship’s highly regulated equipment, which could be what they need to get home. What they find there is an infestation of Xenomorphs, which may prevent any of them from making it out alive.

Where does Alien: Romulus fall on the Alien timeline?

Álvarez has revealed that the story takes place in the decades between the events of Alien and Aliens. This seemingly rules out a cameo appearance by Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, since she was in suspended animation during that long gap. It also raises some questions about how the Xenomorphs were unleashed on the space station, and how much the people back on Earth know about the ongoing threat that they represent.

Who’s starring in Alien: Romulus?

A man stands in a space ship hallway in Alien: Romulus.
20th Century Studios

Cailee Spaeny is headlining the film as a young woman named Rain Carradine, with David Jonsson as Andy, Isabela Merced as Kay, and Archie Renaux as Tyler. The other confirmed cast members include Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu, but their character names are currently unrevealed.

It’s a pretty safe bet that most of these characters won’t live to see the end of the film. But that’s true of any movie in the Alien franchise.

Is there a trailer for Alien: Romulus?

The first teaser trailer does something amazing: It makes the Facehuggers terrifying. As you may recall, there aren’t adult Xenomorphs without the Facehuggers jumping onto a victim and laying eggs inside their body. But we’ve never seen Facehuggers move with the same ferocity and speed as they do in this footage.

The trailer also withholds its first look at a full-grown Xenomorph until the very end. That’s probably a good idea, because the Xenomorphs aren’t as impressive when they’re always on camera. When they’re the off-screen monsters, they can be frightening again.

On June 4, 20th Century Studios released the first official trailer for Alien: Romulus. The new footage features a Facehugger and Chestbuster wreaking havoc on the group. They saved the most terrifying creature for the end of the trailer as the Xenomorph rears its ugly head, coming face to face with one of the humans.

Alien: Romulus | Final Trailer

The final trailer for Alien: Romulus provides more context about why the space colonists chose to board the derelict ship. They plan to use the ship’s equipment to help get them home. The heist goes awry as the Facehuggers, Chestbursters, and Xenomorph wreak havoc on the young explorers.

What do the aliens look like in Alien: Romulus?

A Xenomorph bears its teeth in Alien: Romulus.
20th Century Studios

On April 30, USA Today revealed a new look at the Xenomorph. In the image above, fans of the sci-fi franchise will instantly recognize the familiar look of the alien, complete with razor-sharp teeth and an elongated head.

On Alien Day (April 26) this year, director Fede Álvarez shared a behind the scenes look at how the Facehugger monsters will move in Alien: Romulus. Instead of CG, Alvarez opted to go for practical effects to bring to life one of the franchise’s most iconic creatures.

A practical facehugger on the set of ‘ALIEN: ROMULUS’ pic.twitter.com/Hag3P7TOFz

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 26, 2024

On June 3, 20th Century Studios released a frightening new poster of a Facehugger attacking one of the humans.

Need a hug? New trailer tomorrow. #AlienRomulus pic.twitter.com/TnkzGz1fcW

— Alien: Romulus (@AlienAnthology) June 3, 2024

When will Alien: Romulus be released?

Alien: Romulus will hit theaters on August 16, 2024. That’s typically a slow month during the summer, but films like Guardians of the Galaxy have done very well with that mid-August slot.

Alien: Romulus posters feature different theatrical formats

With Alien: Romulus opting for a theatrical release, fans can see the film in multiple formats — XD, IMAX, Dolby, ScreenX, and 4DX. Each format released its own Alien: Romulus poster. Tickets are now on sale at Fandango.

Alien: Romulus viral marketing campaign featured Facehuggers and Chestbursters

At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Alien: Romulus elected to scare the attendees with replica Facehuggers and Chestbursters. Various people were seen with Facehuggers on their heads and Chestbursters ripping out of their shirts. The viral marketing campaign became one of the most talked-about moments at Comic-Con.

Aliens director James Cameron gave notes to Fede Álvarez after seeing a rough cut of Romulus

James Cameron Talks 'Avatar,' 'Alien: Romulus' and Whales in Spicy Chat: "Damn Right I'm Overbearing" https://t.co/i3r5tnFjxX

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 12, 2024

Who better to provide insight into an Alien film than James Cameron? The Aliens filmmaker saw a rough cut six months ago and passed some notes to Álvarez. That’s where Cameron’s involvement ends, since he did not produce the film.

“I saw a rough cut six months ago, so I’m sure it’s changed a lot. And I viewed it once,” Cameron told The Hollywood Reporter. “I gave some notes to [Álvarez]. He and I aren’t close pals. I mean, I wish him the best with it, but I think it’s been overstated that I had some big creative input to that film. I think Ridley [Scott] did because Ridley was an actual producer on the film. So I’m just putting it in perspective.”

Early reviews of Alien: Romulus are overwhelmingly positive

The first reviews are in for #AlienRomulus – currently it's Fresh at 92% on the Tomatometer, with 49 reviews: https://t.co/98FAtCzio2 pic.twitter.com/YlLuzLmg4H

— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) August 14, 2024

Good news for Alien fans. The early reviews are overwhelmingly positive for Alien: Romulus, which opened to 92% on Rotten Tomatoes before settling at 83%. Most critics describe Romulus as a satisfying sequel and a worthy entry into the Alien franchise. Álvarez’s use of practical effects has also been praised.

Alien: Romulus box office predictions are promising

Summer Isn’t Over: Here Comes ‘Alien: Romulus’, Set To Gobble Up $75M Around The World – Box Office Preview https://t.co/AFbv688kJL

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 14, 2024

Alien: Romulus is set up to be the summer’s last box office hit. According to Deadline, Romulus projects to register an opening weekend of $40 million domestically.

That should be enough to slay Deadpool & Wolverine, the No. 1 movie the last three weekends. Combined with international sales, Alien: Romulus could start with a global opening of $75 million. With a budget of $80 million, Romulus is well on its way toward profitability.

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Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
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