Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez said that he can "definitely" pitch an idea for a potential sequel to the movie right away.
The movie's ending introduced a unique take on a human and Xenomorph hybrid that terrified viewers across the globe.
While the creature was killed by Rain (Cailee Spaeny) in the final moments, there is still a lot of story to tell for the lone human survivor of the Corbelan alongside her brother/synthetic Andy (David Jonsson) as they head toward Yvaga III.
[ Alien: Romulus Cast, Characters, & Actors (Photos) ]
Alien: Romulus Director Gives Promising Sequel Update
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR), Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez talked about sequel ideas following the movie's crazy ending.
After saying that they definitely can pitch ideas for a sequel, the filmmaker pointed out that they need to double down on crafting a worthwhile story first:
THR: "How much forethought have you and your co-writer Rodo Sayagues given a potential Romulus sequel? Could you pitch something tomorrow if you had to?"
Álvarez: "Yes, I definitely can. We tend to do that naturally, not even thinking about sequels. For us, movies have not become franchises, tentpoles, and sequels. This is a language that I’ve only learned in the last ten years of my life working here. For me, it’s always been about [the] story."
Álvarez then teased what's next for Rain and Andy in Yvaga, hinting that there is a possibility that the planet is a "terrible place [and not what Rain's crew] think is great and fantasize about:"
"So, once we finished, we started thinking, 'What do you think happens when or if they get to Yvaga? Is it going to be great? Or is it a terrible place?' We tend to believe it’s probably a terrible place that they think is great and fantasize about, so we naturally started thinking about where it goes and what’s going to happen. And then, a few minutes in, we go, 'Oh, that sounds like a sequel.'"
The director also shared that he believes that one "should never make [a sequel] in two years," pointing out the seven-year gap between Alien and Aliens:
"But we really try to think about it more in terms of story and if it needs another chapter and whether people want to know what happens next. So we’ll wait to see what people think and if people ask for it. My philosophy is that you should never make [a sequel] in two years. You’ve got to get away. You’ve got to get the audience to really want it. If you think about 'Alien' and 'Aliens,' there are seven years between them. But we definitely have ideas about where it should go."
Álvarez's comments about the gap between the first movie and its sequel make sense and it would allow fans to take a break from the franchise before ramping up the hype again once a potential follow-up premieres in the coming years.
In a separate interview, Álvarez spoke with Collider about what's next for him and he gets honest on whether or not he wants to return to the Alien universe, saying that he and his Alien: Romulus co-writer Rodo Sayagues have an "itch now of going and creating completely new and original:"
Collider: "Do you know what you wanna do next? Do you want to continue playing in the Alien universe? Do you wanna go do something radically different?
Álvarez: "I don’t know about radically different, but Rodo and I definitely have the itch now of going and creating something completely new and original. As much as I loved working on this film, more as a big-picture audience person, I feel like Hollywood desperately needs people to give them original material and create new things."
Álvarez continued by saying that the new generation of viewers wants movies "that aren't associated with everything that came before:"
"While we were watching the trailer for my movie the other day, I felt like there were so many things that connected the other movies in the past. I think there’s a new generation that just wants movies that belong to them, that aren’t associated with everything that came before. That’s what we wanna do."
Predicting Alien: Romulus' Sequel Story: What's Next for Rain and Andy?
Alien: Romulus leaves a lot to be desired for Rain as she continues her quest to Yvaga III while in stasis inside a cryopod.
In the movie, it is established that the journey from Jackson's Colony to Yvaga III takes nine years, meaning that a potential sequel could go into several storyline routes.
The first one could see Rain and Andy making it to Yvaga and could dive into director Fede Álvarez's comments about the planet being a terrible one and not a paradise.
A version of Yvaga where it is already infested with Xenomorphs could be a nightmare scenario for Rain and Andy and the pair will have to work together again to save themselves and potential survivors on the planet.
Another potential storytelling tool that a possible Romulus sequel could focus on is the canister of black goo that is still inside the Corbelan alongside Rain and Andy at the end of the movie.
The Weyland-Yutani Corporation could be aware of the location of the canister and they could be in pursuit of Rain and Andy in a potential sequel.
Getting the canister of black goo presents all kinds of problems for the protagonists since it is the one responsible for turning Kay's (Isabela Merced) baby into a terrifying human/Xenomorph hybrid.
If the company gets ahold of the canister, they could create far worse creatures than the hybrid and it will be up to Rain to stop it.
Alien: Romulus is now playing in theaters worldwide.
Read more about Alien: Romulus below:
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