'Alien: Romulus' first trailer just made it my most anticipated movie of 2024 — here's why
It’s been a long seven years for fans of the “Alien” movies. The franchise was put into cryo sleep after the release of the divisive “Alien: Covenant”, but finally, after a tortuously long wait, the Xenomorph is returning to the big screen this summer in “Alien: Romulus”.
As a massive fan of all things "Alien", my hype levels of “Alien: Romulus” were already pretty high, but the launch of its first teaser trailer today (March 20), has sent my excitement into overdrive. This first look at the upcoming sci-fi horror may be only a minute long, but it’s shown me everything I wanted to see. Somebody get me into a cryopod, I can’t wait until August to watch this one.
'Alien: Romulus' — here's what we know
The teaser trailer opens with a slow pan through the interior of a spaceship with a harsh siren in the background making it very clear some scary stuff is going down in this high-tech setting. Soon enough we see a cryopod covered in blood, and it’s here that the first scream is heard before a voice off-screen utters a single chilling word: “Run”.
What follows is a rapid-fire montage of scenes that showcases, among other horrors, the crew of the spaceship running from something (I think we can guess what) and terrified survivors getting assaulted by the franchise’s iconic face huggers. We also get a closing stinger that very briefly shows the eponymous extraterritorial as it prepares to feast using its barbed tongue.
No main characters are introduced, and no specific details of the plot are outlined either, but as a mood-setter, it’s one of the most effective teaser trailers I’ve ever seen.
Alongside the trailer, an official longline was released by 20th Century Studios, which read, “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 latest “Alien” movie is also confirmed to feature Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu. It’ll be directed by Fede Alvarez, who has plenty of horror pedigree having helmed the 2013 “Evil Dead” reboot and the excellent survival thriller, “Don’t Breathe”.
Let’s be frank, I’m always sold on anything “Alien” related, but now I’m super sold on “Alien: Romulus”. Let me book my opening night tickets right now because I’ll be in the front row when the movie lands in theaters on August 16, 2025.
'Alien: Romulus' could be the fresh start the franchise needs
As noted, I’m a huge “Alien” fan, and despite the lukewarm receptions the latest "Alien" movies have received from critics and many audience members, I found plenty to like about 2012’s “Prometheus” and 2017’s “Alien: Covenant”, but even I can admit that the franchise desperately need an injection of fresh blood.
I respect everything Ridley Scott has brought to the franchise, but I'm okay with him acting as a producer on this one, and letting Fede Alvarez have a turn in the director’s chair, especially as I’ve been impressed with the filmmaker's previous work. “Don’t Breathe” is very underrated, and his “Evil Dead” reboot was a bloody good time.
I’m also delighted "Romulus" appears to be making a clean break from the increasingly convoluted lore that weighed down the franchise’s last couple of efforts. As great as Michael Fassbender’s performance as android David was, it’s a good thing his story is being dropped in favor of a new cast of characters. The franchise needs a full reboot to win back the viewers that dropped off in the 2010s.
To my eyes, “Alien: Romulus” looks to be attempting to recapture the magic of the 1979 original, and that’s a pretty fantastic template to work from considering it's arguably the best movie ever made. Even 20th Century Studios seem to be acknowledging the similarities, the trailer’s description claims “Romulus” will “take the franchise back to its roots.”
A bunch of out-of-their-depth space truckers being hunted down by a creature perfectly formed for killing is all I need from an “Alien” movie, and it looks like “Alien: Romulus” is going to deliver me exactly what I wanted.
