Alien: Romulus will bring fear back to the iconic sci-fi franchise.
The first trailer for the upcoming Galactic Hellraiser was released on Tuesday, and ostensibly the film will return the franchise to its horrific roots. Fede Alvarez (The Evil Dead, Hold Your Breath) is directing the film, but by all accounts it’s set to be released in 2025 with Noah Hawley It has nothing to do with the “Alien” TV series that came out.
“While scouring the depths of an abandoned space station, a group of young space colonists encounter the most terrifying life forms in the universe,” reads the official synopsis from 20th Century Studios.
According to star Kelly Spaeny, “Alien: Romulus” can be said to be a prequel. The film takes place between Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic and James Cameron’s critically acclaimed sequel. “It was supposed to be between the first movie and the second movie,” Spaeny told Variety.
In the trailer, Spaeny and crew are dealing with a group of facehuggers and an alien or two. They may not know what these creatures are, but we certainly do. While it may seem a little dated to viewers at this point—there are eight movies in the canon so far—the footage gives a surprising new look at the birth of a human in the universe. Facehugger’s horrific chest-destroying process. And, honestly, we’re totally here for this.
James Cameron’s “Alien” special effects crew returned to create the alien in “Alien: Romulus.”
Keeping with the theme of getting back to basics, she went on to reveal that the monster effects team on Romulus were the same people who worked on Cameron’s game-changing blockbuster. “So it’s incredible to be able to see the original designs with the original people who worked on these films for over 45 years and for most of their lives,” she added.
The overall storyline of the film has not yet been revealed. But the trailer was enough to give us a glimpse of what’s to come, and to excite die-hard fans around the world who’ve been craving a proper Alien movie for years. It’s a simple enough formula: throw an unsuspecting crew into space, trap them within the confines of the ship, and unleash a host of violent creatures to wreak havoc, and it sets up a pretty solid foundation of horror.
Starring alongside Spaeny are Isabella Merced, Archie Renault, David Jonson, Erin Wu and Spike Finn.
Alien: Romulus will premiere in theaters on Friday, August 16.
