Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus is an American science fiction horror film and the seventh installment in the Alien (franchise), a standalone interquel set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). Directed by Fede Álvarez, who co-wrote the film with Rodo Sayagues, it stars Cailee Spaeny and Isabela Merced. A production of Scott Free Productions and Brandywine Productions, the film was theatrically released by 20th Century Studios on August 16, 2024.
At CinemaCon in April 2019, 20th Century Fox announced their plans to produce future Alien films. Álvarez was attached as director in March 2022, and Spaeny joined the film as the lead later that year. Filming took place from March to July 2023. Alien: Romulus premiered in Los Angeles on August 12, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on August 16. It received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $225.2 million worldwide.
== Plot ==
In 2142, a Weyland-Yutani Echo space probe investigates the wreckage of the USCSS Nostromo. The probe departs for a research facility after collecting a large organic object containing a xenomorph.
Rain Carradine, an orphan, works with her adoptive brother Andy, a reprogrammed synthetic human, at the colony Jackson's Star. After her contract is forcibly extended by Weyland-Yutani, her ex-boyfriend Tyler persuades her to join an expedition to a derelict spacecraft to retrieve cryostasis chambers. These chambers will allow Rain and her friends—Tyler, his pregnant sister Kay, cousin Bjorn, and Bjorn's girlfriend Navarro—to escape to the planet Yvaga. Andy's ability to interface with the onboard computer system is crucial for the mission. Rain is hesitant to send Andy but is convinced by Tyler and Andy to allow him to assist. They fly the hauler Corbelan to the spacecraft, which is revealed to be the Renaissance - a Weyland-Yutani research station divided into parts Romulus and Remus, a reference to the Roman legend. While retrieving stasis chambers, Tyler, Bjorn, and Andy accidentally revive frozen facehuggers and trigger a lockdown. To override the lockdown, Rain installs a chip from a damaged android, Rook, into Andy, granting him access to the station while also updating his thought processing and general efficiency. Unbeknownst to the others, this also changes his "prime directive", making him loyal solely to Weyland-Yutani.
As the group flees the chamber, a facehugger latches onto Navarro. Rain reactivates Rook, who discloses that the xenomorph and its clones killed the station's crew. While Tyler tries to remove the creature, Rook warns it may have implanted a "seed". Despite Andy's attempts to stop him, Bjorn flees with Navarro on the Corbelan. A chestburster emerges from Navarro, killing her. The Corbelan, with Kay and Bjorn aboard, crashes into the Romulushangar, jeopardizing the station's orbit and leaving less than an hour before it collides with Jackson's planetary rings. Kay is knocked unconscious from the impact, and the chestburster escapes into the ship. She regains consciousness and runs into Bjorn, who discovers the xenomorph gestating into its adult form and attacks it with a stun baton. The xenomorph stabs Bjorn in the eye with its tail, eventually killing him after its acidic blood drips onto Bjorn's heart.
Rain and Tyler navigate to the bay while avoiding the facehuggers. Kay escapes the Corbelan but is stalked by the xenomorph trying to lure the others into a trap. Andy refuses to unlock the door so as not to put Rain and Tyler at risk, and they helplessly watch as Kay is critically injured and dragged away. Andy finds samples of a compound scientists had extracted from the xenomorphs, which Rook calls the "Prometheus fire", intended to "perfect" humans. Rook insists the samples must be brought to the colony, preventing the Corbelan from leaving without them. Rain and Tyler arm themselves with rifles, but Andy warns them not to use them, or else the xenomorph blood will melt the ship's hull, causing an explosive decompression.
Rain and Tyler rescue Kay from a cocoon, but Tyler is killed, and Andy is incapacitated. Badly injured, Kay injects herself with the compound during their escape. Rain returns to the Romulus to remove Andy's control chip, thus restoring his loyalty to her. Rain disables the ship's gravity, allowing her to shoot the xenomorphs while keeping their blood away from the hull. Rain and Andy make it back to the Corbelan just before the station crashes into the rings, destroying Rook.
== Cast ==
== Production ==
After the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by the Walt Disney Company, it was officially confirmed at the 2019 CinemaCon that future Alien films are in development. In March 2022, it was announced that Fede Álvarez would be writing and directing the film after pitching his own story, and was said to be "unconnected" to the previous films in the franchise, with the project set to be released on Hulu in the United States. In November 2023, it was announced that the film would take place between Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), with some technical crew members returning from the latter film, and visual effects from Image Engine, returning from Alien: Ore (2019).
By November, Cailee Spaeny had entered negotiations to star. In March 2023, Isabela Merced was set to co-star opposite Spaeny. Later that month, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu joined the cast. Principal photography took place in Budapest from March 9 to July 3, 2023. The film was shot chronologically and utilized practical effects.
== Release ==
Alien: Romulus was originally set to release on Hulu, but was switched to a theatrical release shortly before filming commenced. The film is set to screen at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on August 15, 2024 for its UK premiere. It is scheduled to be released by 20th Century Studios in the United States and United Kingdom the following day on August 16.
== Box office ==
In the United States and Canada, Alien: Romulus is projected to gross $28–40 million in its opening weekend, with some estimates going as high as $45–55 million.
== Critical reception ==
Alien: Romulus garnered positive reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 116 critics' aggregated reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Honoring its nightmarish predecessors while chestbursting at the seams with new frights of its own, Romulus injects some fresh acid blood into one of cinema's great horror franchises." Metacritic assigned the film an average score of 64 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
== Videos ==
Alien- Romulus - Teaser Trailer
Alien- Romulus - Official Trailer
Alien- Romulus - Final Trailer
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