Alien: Romulus Director Worked With Ridley Scott And James Cameron To Maintain Franchise Continuity
The first teaser trailer for "Alien: Romulus" just dropped, and Fede Alvarez's take on the space-set series looks, well, horrifying. The sneak preview includes buckets of blood and some gnarly body horror, making it a welcome return to what worked so well for Ridley Scott's chest-bursting 1979 original. "Evil Dead" and "Don't Breathe" helmer Alvarez certainly appears to be putting his own spin on the world of "Alien," but he also confessed in a recent interview with Variety that he drew from the work of the greats who came before him – and even sat down with them to talk about their work.
When asked about the film's continuity, Alvarez explained where "Alien: Romulus" falls in the "Alien" timeline, and explained that he went to both original film director Scott (who's producing the new movie) and sequel writer-director James Cameron to help maintain the canon story as it exists so far. "["Alien: Romulus"] takes [place] 20 years after the first one, and for me, I don't see it as upsetting the canon," Alvarez told the outlet. "It's something I take personal pleasure in doing, making sure that it all tracks and is all part of the big 'Alien' franchise story — not only in the story, but also when it comes to how to make it."
Alvarez spoke with Scott and 'had long chats' with Cameron
Alvarez continued: "I talked with Ridley [Scott] as a producer, and had long chats with James Cameron about it at the script level. After the movie was done, I showed it to them." The new movie is set to follow yet another group of people facing off against murderous space aliens, and features a cast including "Priscilla" actress Cailee Spaeny, "Instant Family" star Isabela Merced, "Rye Lane" actor David Jonsson, and Archie Renaux, fresh off of Netflix's "Shadow & Bone." With an August release date, "Alien: Romulus" has the chance to become a true summer blockbuster, and if it does, it'll follow in the footsteps of "handmade" films before it.
"You really want to push it and create this world, so as a director, you're not sitting in your chair and just pointing at sh*t," Alvarez told Variety. "I do VFX shots myself. I'm puppeteering there with them. In every movie, I think, 'Okay, this is the one where I finally got to sit down and just point at sh*t.'" The filmmaker said he can't stop himself from ending up "on the floor getting [his] hands dirty," but he also revealed that Cameron and Scott said that level of commitment is key to making an "Alien" film work.
You have to be involved at every level
"That's really what Ridley and Cameron told me — the only way to make this movie is you have to be involved at every level," Alvarez said. "These are very handmade movies from their directors, that's why they're so unique." The filmmaker contrasted the experience with the type of hollow-looking blockbusters that feel as if they've been slapped together by something non-human, saying, "This is not a studio movie where you come in, do your thing and there's a machine going on that knows how to do them."
Alvarez spoke about the handmade feel of the movie when asked about how he incorporated the knowledge Cameron and Scott brought to the table into something that was his own. He also clearly has plenty of love for the source material, as he said, "Obviously 'Alien' and 'Aliens' are very different movies, but we figured out ways with this story to make sure I didn't have to choose. There are incredible, smart things [accomplished] in those movies." The first look at the film is enrapturing, capturing the look and feel of the teeth-chatteringly scary original better in just one minute than most sequels and prequels since. Fans clamoring to see "Alien: Romulus" will have to sit tight (like a face-hugger clinging to its prey): the film doesn't hit theaters until August 16, 2024.