Romulus’ Director Says The Story Structure Is More Like ‘Aliens’

Summer blockbuster season is already off with a bang – or a slash if we’re talking MaXXXine and Longlegs. With Deadpool & Wolverine reinvigorating the box office, Twisters funneling money into its bank account, and Inside Out 2 breaking records for Pixar, things are looking terrific for the industry as we head into the second half (womp) of the warm season. And there are still plenty of good things to come! Specifically, next month, fans of the Alien franchise will have a chance to see a Xenomorph back on the big screen as Evil Dead (2013) director Fede Álvarez plans to take the sci-fi story back to its horror roots in Alien: Romulus.

Romulus was one of the hottest titles to take the stage in Hall H on Friday at San Diego Comic-Con — and that’s saying something, as the day provided presentations from The Boys, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and more. There, the audience was treated to some behind-the-scenes footage of the practical effects that the creative team had been hyping up for months and that will undoubtedly steal the show when Romulus rises into cinemas on August 16.

Collider’s editor-in-chief Steve Weintraub also enjoyed some up-close and personal time with Álvarez in a studio interview where the director opened up about how the new film’s story structure took notes from the James Cameron-helmed sequel, Aliens. Speaking of the slow build that will undoubtedly lock viewers in as they grow close to the characters only to watch the majority of them be torn to pieces, Álvarez said,

“I think that audiences definitely want a lot more from the stories, and I think we have enough time here because it’s quite a slow burn. The structure is very similar to
Aliens
in a way, which really takes a while to really get to the horror. But I think by the time you get there, you’re invested in those characters, you want them to succeed, and that’s what makes it so heartbreaking when, unfortunately, probably some of them, a lot of them will find terrible endings.”

‘Alien: Romulus’ Will Serve As Both A Next Chapter And A Prequel

Entering a new title into a beloved yet divisive franchise certainly wasn’t a walk in the park for Álvarez but was instead a monumental undertaking. Over the years, fans of the sci-fi film series have been let down numerous times with new installments not quite living up to the magic that was first created by Ridley Scott in the 1979 cinematic masterpiece. In no way is Álvarez trying to reinvent the wheel but is instead putting the story of Romulus in between 1979’s Alien and its 1986 sequel. New characters will be introduced, but we’re expecting the movie to pay homage to the first few movies that started the obsession.

One way that Àlvarez and his creative team have planned to keep things as classic as possible is by leaning heavily onto practical effects. From working with movement coordinators to enlisting the help of the practical effects team from Aliens, no stone was left unturned and no brain unpicked as the filmmaker and his peers worked tirelessly to give future audiences a spine-chilling experience. And, with Scott’s stamp of approval, we’re stoked to see the fruits of the Romulus team’s labor in under a month.

Stay tuned to Collider for more SDCC coverage as the weekend rolls along.

Alien: Romulus

In Alien: Romulus, a crew of space explorers lands on a distant, uncharted planet, only to uncover a horrifying secret lurking beneath the surface. As they delve deeper into the alien environment, they encounter deadly creatures and ancient ruins that hint at a terrifying history. The team’s survival becomes a desperate battle against the relentless xenomorphs, forcing them to rely on their wits and technology to escape the nightmarish world.

Release Date

August 16, 2024

Director

Fede Alvarez

Writers

Fede Alvarez , Rodo Sayagues , Dan O’Bannon , Ronald Shusett

Studio(s)

Scott Free Productions , 20th Century

Distributor(s)

20th Century

Franchise(s)

Alien

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