Fede Alvarez, director of Don’t Breathe and The Evil Dead, directed last year’s Alien: Romulus and is keen to see the future of this iconic sci-fi horror series and what comes next. Masu.
While the latest installment pays homage to the series’ roots, Alvarez teases that a potential sequel would take the Alien story into bold, uncharted territory. In an interview with Empire, he revealed that he is actively brainstorming new ideas with longtime co-writer Rodo Sayagues.
“Rodo and I are currently working on it,” Alvarez explained. “We’ve pretty much checked all the boxes of what we wanted to see (at Romulus) and brought back a lot of things we haven’t seen in a while. Wherever we go from here, we’re going into uncharted waters.”
As Romulus, Alvarez sought to bridge the gap between the tense horror of Ridley Scott’s Alien and the intense action of James Cameron’s Alien. However, his approach was not limited to those classics. The film also draws inspiration from subsequent films in the series, including Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus, and even the popular video game Alien: Isolation. This careful balance allowed Alvarez to create something that pays homage to the series’ tradition while still feeling fresh.
A potential sequel could also continue the story of Rayne, the character played by Cailee Spaeny in Romulus. Alvarez hinted that he will explore new possibilities with some familiar faces. “I think it’s really exciting to go to places we’ve never been before in the Alien series and discover things we’ve never seen before, with the characters we know from this movie.” he said.
But Alvarez has made it clear that he’s in no rush to jump into a follow-up just because he can. “A common mistake with sequels is to make a sequel just because you can. The success of Romulus definitely makes it possible to make a sequel,” he said. “But I won’t do it unless I have a really good idea, something worthy of the title.”
Out of an estimated production cost of $80 million, Alien: Romulus grossed an impressive $350 million worldwide. It was well received by critics and audiences alike. For example, it has a score of 80% from critics and 85% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s always promising to show filmmakers a focus on quality over speed. If a sequel happens, we can only hope that Alvarez delivers a worthy new chapter in the Xenomorph’s legacy.
