While Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” film series was basically killed off after its underperforming sequel, “Alien: Covenant,” clearly, 20 Century Studios believes the show must go on for the Alien/xenomorph franchise. And maybe it needs a cheaper cast to be cost-effective. Because both FX’s “Alien” series from Noah Hawley and the upcoming film, “Alien: Romulus” are A-list star-free, relying on new up-and-comers instead.
Directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Álvarez, known for horror films like “Evil Dead” (2013) and “Don’t Breathe” (2016), and “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” the latest “Alien” film stars Cailee Spaeny, who was relatively unknown until her breakout turn in last year’s “Priscilla” from director Sofia Coppola.
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The rest of the cast includes Isabela Merced (“Madame Web”), David Jonsson(HBO’s “Industry” and “Rye Lane”), Archie Renaux (Netflix’s “Shadow and Bone”), Spike Fearn (“Sweetheart”) and Aileen Wu (“Closing Doors”)
And it’s not a prequel or a sequel, more of an in-between-quel.
Set between the events of Ridley Scott’s “Alien” (1979) and James Cameron’s “Aliens” (1986), this new installment in the franchise centers on a group of young people in a distant world who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe: the xenomorph.
Here’s the official synopsis for a few more details.
The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: 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 film stars Cailee Spaeny (“Priscilla”), David Jonsson (“Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“The Last of Us”), Spike Fearn (“Aftersun”), Aileen Wu. Fede Alvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breathe”) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (“Don’t Breathe 2”) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. “Alien: Romulus” is produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers.
A Scott Free Productions—yes, Ridley is still an executive—“Alien: Romulus” is scheduled to be theatrically released by 20th Century Studios on August 16, 2024. Watch the trailer below.
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