Get ready for another spoiled dinner. Today, 20th Century Studios released a full trailer for Alien: Romulus, the next chapter in the continuing sci-fi franchise. Far removed from the rest of the films in the Alien series, Alien: Romulus follows a group of “young space colonizers” who board an abandoned spaceship and encounter the Aliens and their Facehugger vessels. Alien: Romulus stars Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. Directed by Fede Álvarez, Alien: Romulus will arrive in theaters on August 16, 2024, and you can see the new trailer below:
They’re definitely going for the feel of the first movie with this one. Alien: Romulus appears to be a horror movie much more than an action one, with dark corridors and terrified space travelers who get more than they bargained for from the creatures. That’s a smart move, not just because it’ll be nice to have a lower key entry than the Alien films have had in a while (even if you count Prometheus and Alien: Covenant) but because it’ll help this movie turn a profit at a time when it’s becoming increasingly difficult to do so. Alien: Romulus doesn’t have a reported budget yet, but I suspect it’s relatively modest, which is what this film needs to make money. Isabela Merced is the biggest name in the cast, and she’s hardly a star, and I doubt Fede Álvarez commands a huge paycheck. The special effects will be the most expensive part of the production, and if they focus on suspense and atmosphere rather than monster mayhem, they could keep those costs manageable. I’m not particularly excited for this movie, mostly because Alien is one of the several-to-many franchises I wish would just end already, but Alien: Romulus does at least look like a well-made film, so anyone who isn’t tired of the series may be in for a good time.