Alien: Romulus is set between the first and second Alien movies, according to director Fede Álvarez.
In an interview with THR, Álvarez clarified the newest entry in the sci-fi/horror film series fills in the gaps between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens - and that it doesn’t require you to have seen either.
“The way we crafted it is if you haven’t seen any of them, I’m jealous because you’ll have an incredible experience. You’ll have all these worlds of Alien coming at you, and you’ve never experienced any of this. You don’t know how the creature is born, and you don’t know any of these things. That’s fantastic. You’ll have a blast.”
Not having watched the other Alien films will only add to the horror and mystery, claims Álvarez. And he knows a thing or two about how to craft terrifying cinematic experiences, having previously helmed Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead.
On the other hand, if you have seen the other films, it’ll add to your enjoyment of Alien: Romulus.
“It’s a completely different experience in a way,” the director continues, “because you’ll see and you’ll find those connections with the other movies. And if you’re a fan, you’ll be that person who annoys your friends in the theater, by telling them that you know what this is from and where that gun is from and what the characters are talking about.”
While Alien: Romulus is a prequel, it’s even connected to the most recent film in the timeline, 2017’s Alien: Covenant, with Álvarez saying “There’s always connections from Alien to Alien: Covenant.” With that film getting just 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, hopefully the Alien: Romulus doesn’t draw on it too much.
Alien: Romulus releases in cinemas 16 August, 2024. Read about how Alien: Romulus shocks cast with “disgusting” scene.”
More must-reads: