Director Fede Álvarez’s contribution to the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus (you can read our review HERE), was a success – so it was no surprise to hear, just a couple of months after the film’s theatrical release, that 20th Century Studios was working with Álvarez to develop a sequel to the film. All this time, we’ve been expecting Álvarez to direct the follow-up as well, becoming the first director other than Ridley Scott to helm two films in the franchise – but a couple of weeks ago, we heard the surprising news that Álvarez will not be directing the sequel, choosing to “pass the torch” instead. Now, Álvarez has said that he never intended to direct the new film.
The story Álvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues crafted for Alien: Romulus slots right in between the events of Alien and Aliens. It has the following official logline: 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. The cast includes Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), Isabela Merced (Madame Web), David Jonsson (Industry), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn (The Batman), and Aileen Wu (Away from Home). The sequel is expected to center on Alien: Romulus survivors Rain (Spaeny) and Andy (Jonsson).
Speaking with Empire earlier this year, Álvarez confirmed that he and Sayagues were working on the script for the Alien: Romulus sequel. He said, “We’re excited about where it can go. We’ve almost checked all of the boxes of things that I want to see [in Romulus], and brought back a lot of the things I hadn’t seen in a while. Wherever we go now, we can go into uncharted waters. I think it’ll be so exciting to go with characters you know from this movie, to a place in the Alien franchise that we’ve never been before, and to discover things that you’ve never seen before.”
Speaking at the Horrorhound Weekend event, Álvarez said (with thanks to Alien-Covenant for the transcription), “I don’t think I was ever going to (direct the sequel). We always knew right when we finished – this is one of those things where you come in and you do one, and get out. Cameron, Fincher… all those directors I love, they went and did one. Obviously Ridley created it, he has the right to make a bunch of them. We did want to write it. Honestly it’s because we love the characters we created so we want to make sure no one kills them right at the beginning of the next one. They went and killed Hicks and Newt just like that, hey, let’s not let that happen. We wrote it and made sure they stayed alive, and now we can let someone else make it.” Alien-Covenant points out that quotes given as recently as February made it sound like Álvarez definitely did intend to direct the movie at one point, as he was saying “I think the sequel is my next movie” and “I hope I can shoot it this year,” but for now the story is that he was never going to.
What do you think of Fede Álvarez vacating the director’s chair for the Alien: Romulus sequel? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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