The upcoming horror film Alien: Romulus had its first official plot details revealed by the studio behind the project.
Thanks to some scattered quotes from actors involved with the project, fans haven't been entirely in the dark regarding all the details of the next entry in the franchise.
Star Cailee Spaney previously revealed to Variety that the movie will take place between the original two films - specifically, 20 years after the first movie, according to director Fede Alvarez. This, in turn, means Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley won't be making an appearance—as she’d be in the midst of cryosleep during that timeframe.
First Plot Details About Alien: Romulus From Studio
20th Century Studios officially released new plot details for the upcoming movie Alien: Romulus.
The fresh description, which comes from pages of production information straight from the studio, reveals that the events of the movie will follow a group "scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station:"
“A truly terrifying cinematic experience... The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful 'Alien' franchise back to its roots: 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.”
Before that blurb, the movie only had a very vague synopsis, as reported by Variety in 2023.
"[The film follows] a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe."
Reinvigorating the Alien Franchise
The story details of Alien: Romulus does sound like it's taking the franchise back to its roots, bringing the action back to the cold, terrifying space station. Unlike some of the more recent Alien projects, it doesn't feel like this new entry will be interested in deepening the titular monster’s lore.
At the very least, fans should expect this new entry to be viciously gross and brutal. Actress Isabela Merced recently shared with The Hollywood Reporter that while filming reshoots, she was watching playback of the movie on an iPad, and other crew members watching had to actively look away from the footage.
This shouldn't surprise those who know its director, Fede Alverez. The filmmaker is also known for the 2013 Evil Dead reboot, which is an incredibly gore-y and intense movie.
Hopefully, Alverez can reignite love for the franchise, which could also help FX’s upcoming Alien television series, which will take place 30 years before the original film.
Alien: Romulus releases on August 16, while the Alien FX series is expected at some point in the first half of 2025.
