Summary
- Alien: Romulus aims to blend the best of Alien and Aliens, but this risky move could backfire on Disney’s reboot.
- Fede Álvarez’s mix of the two iconic films may not work, as Alien and Aliens have very different styles and tones.
- Instead of repeating the past, Alien: Romulus should carve its own path and find a new style to stand out.
Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez is setting out to combine the best parts of Alien and Aliens – but this seemingly smart approach could end up backfiring on Disney’s reboot. Set for theatrical release on August 16, 2024, Alien: Romulus revolves around an unsuspecting space crew who encounter the most terrifying lifeform in the universe – the dreaded xenomorph – while inspecting a dilapidated old space station. Álvarez has assembled an exciting cast of up-and-coming stars to round out the crew, including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Isabela Merced.
The original Alien movie and its first sequel, Aliens, are considered to be the pinnacle of the franchise by far, with every subsequent entry failing to reach their levels of greatness. In order to finally contend with the first two Alien films, Álvarez told Empire that he’s mixing the best parts of Alien with the best parts of Aliens for a best-of-both-worlds approach. While this might seem like a no-brainer, Alien and Aliens are so different that combining their styles might end up hurting the new movie.
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The High-Octane Action Of Aliens Might Undermine The Claustrophobic Terror Of Alien
While it was written to be a gory, schlocky B-movie, Ridley Scott elevated Alien with his razor-sharp approach to the material. He directed Alien essentially as And Then There Were None in space – more of a whodunit than a monster movie – and the result was a masterclass in cinematic tension. When James Cameron was tapped to direct the sequel, he knew he couldn’t make another haunted-house-in-space movie as intense as Scott’s, so he made Aliens as a fast-paced, gun-toting action thriller instead.
It might seem like a good idea to combine the haunted-house thrills of Alien with the trigger-happy Marine action of Aliens, but those two styles are so different that they might cancel each other out. The high-octane action spectacle of Aliens could undermine the claustrophobic terror of Alien. And the slow-burn intensity of Alien could undermine the all-out humans-versus-aliens war of Aliens. These two styles might not work if they’re crammed into the same movie.
Alien: Romulus Should Find Its Own Style, Not Repeat The Past
Rather than relying on what worked in the past, Alien: Romulus should be charting its own path and finding its own style. Álvarez could’ve found a new genre to explore like Cameron did with Aliens. By embracing the safety of the past, Alien: Romulus might have the same problem as Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The Force Awakens was essentially a greatest-hits montage of the best Star Wars moments, and it ultimately failed in its mission to bring the franchise into a brave new era.
Source: Empire
Alien: Romulus
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.
- Director
- Fede Alvarez
- Cast
- Cailee Spaeny , David Jonsson , Archie Renaux , Isabela Merced , Aileen Wu , Spike Fearn