Romulus’ Characters Give The Upcoming Movie An Advantage Over Other Franchise Sequels

Alien: Romulus is pitting the notorious xenomorph against a younger and more inexperienced space crew than ever before, which could amplify the film’s cosmic terror. Set to arrive in theaters on August 16, 2024, Alien: Romulus will revolve around a group of twentysomething space colonists who inspect a dilapidated old space station and end up encountering the most fearsome lifeform in the universe. The story will take place somewhere in the decades-long gap between Alien and Aliens, and it’s aiming to collate the styles and tones of those two fan-favorite movies.

Director Fede Álvarez, who previously helmed Don’t Breathe and the Evil Dead reboot, recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about his approach to Alien: Romulus. He explained how he’ll honor the franchise’s legacy, with a claustrophobic atmosphere and a fresh take on familiar iconography like the facehugger, but he also explained how this movie will differ from the previous entries in the series. Specifically, Álvarez is focusing on younger characters with less experience in space, which he believes will be more relatable to audiences who have similarly limited experience with the horrors of outer space.

Vulnerable & Inexperienced Characters Will Heighten The Scares In Alien: Romulus

At least Ripley knew what she was doing

Álvarez didn’t just make the characters of Alien: Romulus a bunch of young kids to appeal to a younger demographic; he did it to make the xenomorph action even scarier. It’s always terrifying when a xenomorph happens upon a space crew and starts picking them off in the Alien universe. But there’s a safety in knowing that the crew in question is full of seasoned professionals. When the xenomorph burst out of Kane’s chest in the original movie, Ellen Ripley knew all the right protocols and procedures to follow to ensure the safety of the rest of the crew.

The crew in Alien: Romulus won’t have this knowledge. In Álvarez’s own words, these twentysomething characters are “not professionals or scientists; they’re not even adults.” This is likely their first space mission, or certainly one of the first, and they’re still figuring it out on the job. Throw an army of facehuggers into the mix and there’s the potential for some really nail-biting tension. With younger characters at the helm, Alien: Romulus will play more like a classic slasher in the vein of Friday the 13th than any of the previous Alien films.

Alien: Romulus’ Premise Could Lead To Interesting Power Dynamics For The Young Crew

Who will take charge when the xenomorphs show up?

If all the kids on the space crew in Alien: Romulus are as naive and inexperienced as each other, who will take charge when the xenomorphs show up? If they’re all in their twenties, just starting out their careers in space colonization, then who’s their commanding officer? Once the xenomorphs show up, one of the kids might take charge and lead the way, then another kid might question their leadership and suggest a different strategy. The crew might end up splitting up over their disagreements, allowing the xenomorphs to take advantage of their interpersonal divisions.

In the timeless original Alien movie, the crew looks up to Dallas. But Alien: Romulus doesn’t seem to have a de facto leader like that. It’s possible that the people they’re taking orders from are off-screen, safely back on Earth. Traditionally, in Alien movies, the lowly space crew being targeted by the xenomorphs is at the mercy of “The Company.” In both Alien and Aliens, corporate loyalists attempt to bring back a xenomorph specimen for the company to reverse-engineer alien soldiers. It would honor the franchise’s history if Alien: Romulus has a similar corporate betrayal storyline.

Alien: Romulus Will Focus On Sibling-Like Relationships And Family

The crew in Alien: Romulus has a “found family” dynamic

According to the Entertainment Weekly piece, the crew in Alien: Romulus don’t see each other as crewmates or colleagues; they’re so close with each other that they feel like siblings. Álvarez has teased the characters’ backstory: their parents all worked on the same ship, so they grew up around each other in those close quarters. As a result, they’ve grown up thick as thieves, fully trusting each other. Of course, those tight-knit relationships will be tested once they’re attacked by a bloodthirsty alien that wants nothing more than to mindlessly kill everyone in sight.

Álvarez even hinted that the Romulus of the film’s title is a sly reference to these relationships. While one Alien: Romulus theory suggests the xenomorph king will make an appearance in the movie, Álvarez hints that the Romulus reference is a bit more metaphorical. It refers to the two brothers who founded Rome (according to the myth), so it could allude to this group of kids who see themselves as siblings attempting to create a stable human colony on an alien world.

Cailee Spaeny’s Rain Having A Synthetic Who Is Like A Brother Brings Interesting Challenges

Previous Alien movies have featured android characters – but never as family

Cailee Spaeny gives away some details about her lead character, Rain Carradine, in the Entertainment Weekly piece. She reveals that Rain’s brother, played by Rye Lane’s breakout star David Jonsson, is a synthetic, and that this relationship is the crux of her arc in the movie. Spaeny explains, “She loves him like her brother, but there are difficulties growing up with a synthetic.” Having a synthetic as a brother will tie into the challenges that Rain faces throughout the movie. Spaney sings the praises of her co-star Jonsson, who she says “really nailed that performance.”

The previous Alien movies have featured android characters before. In the first film, the crew of the Nostromo was betrayed by Ash, the ship’s science officer, who turned out to be an android. In Aliens, Ripley’s experiences with Ash are shown to have made her untrusting of androids. Throughout the sequel, the Sulaco’s resident android, Bishop, has to work pretty hard to earn Ripley’s trust and approval. By the end of the movie, Bishop has proven his trustworthiness and become a close friend of Ripley’s. But Alien: Romulus will be the first Alien movie to depict an android as family.

Based on Spaeny’s wardrobe, images of her holding a huge pulse rifle, and the way she’s positioned as the lead of the ensemble, Rain is being set up as Alien: Romulus’ answer to Ripley. As a strong female action hero who looks primed to save the day, Rain has a lot in common with Sigourney Weaver’s trailblazing heroine. But her relationship with the android character flips Ripley’s dynamic on its head. Whereas Ripley was the only member of the crew who didn’t trust the android, Rain will be the only one who does.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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