The movie is the seventh installment of the Alien franchise, not including the pair of Alien vs. Predator crossovers that were released in the 2000s.
On the franchise’s timeline, Alien: Romulus is set between the original 1978 film Alien, directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator), and its 1986 sequel Aliens, directed by James Cameron (The Terminator). It follows a group of young space colonists who come across a terrifying extraterrestrial species while exploring a deserted space station.
Álvarez, who’s of Uruguayan descent, got his start in Hollywood when he remade the horror classic Evil Dead in 2013. He went on to direct 2016 horror-thriller Don’t Breathe, 2018 action-thriller The Girl in the Spider's Web and 2021 mystery-thriller TV series Calls.
He’s now adding his name to the noteworthy Alien directors who came before him, including Scott, Cameron, David Fincher (Alien 3, The Social Network) and French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Alien Resurrection, Amélie).
During an interview with the Current, Álvarez, 46, talked about adding to an established film franchise and why he describes the original Alien as “Star Wars’ evil sister.”
Alien: Romulus premieres Friday, Aug. 16, at theaters nationwide.
What is the most important thing to you as a director when you take on a project like Alien: Romulus or Evil Dead that has a long cinematic history?
Well, the key is always to make it in a way that you give the fans what they want to see. But above all things, I want to make it in a way that if you haven't seen any of [the previous films], you can come in and have a blast watching it at the same level as everybody else and not feel like it’s an “Episode 7” or that you haven't made this or that connection. If you're a teenager coming to see [Alien: Romulus] and haven't seen any of the other movies, I think it's unfair to put out a movie that will make you feel like you've been left out because of the references to things that you don't understand. A movie like [Alien: Romulus] has to work equally for fans and for a new audience.
It’s interesting that Alien: Romulus is both a sequel and a prequel. What was behind that decision?
Yeah, it takes place between [Alien] and [Aliens] because I wanted it to be an amalgamation of those two films stylistically. I wanted to have the horror of the first movie and the action of the second film. It wasn’t because it's a storyline where you need to watch [Alien] then [Alien: Romulus] and then [Aliens] to understand. In [Alien: Romulus], these are completely new characters in a slightly different storyline. But in time, it was very important for the canon and for the fans who want to know exactly where it takes place. [The original films] take place over many years. It was important to know exactly where [Alien: Romulus] sits.
What do you think it is about this franchise that’s kept it going for nearly half a century?
As long as Star Wars is alive, I think Alien will be too. I think Alien is Star Wars’ evil sister. Alien came out [two] years after the original Star Wars. It was an answer to that world. But instead of doing it as a hopeful adventure, it becomes this twisted horror. I think they have this kind of symbiotic relationship. There are more Star Wars [movies] than Alien at this point, but I think they kind of coexist.
You’re a Uruguayan filmmaker. Tell me about casting Isabela Merced. Is it important to you to cast Latinos in your movies?
I always do. I have to have at least one actor who I can speak Spanish with [on the set] and more behind the cameras. Isabela was really a trooper. She was put through the wringer in this film. She’s on the front line of a lot of the horrific moments in the movie. She was definitely amazing to work with.
What would it take for you to pivot away from the horror and thriller genre that you’re known for and make a romantic comedy? Alien Loves Predator, come on!
(Laughs.) You’re lucky I'm not doing that. There are way more capable people than me doing those movies. I don’t think that’ll ever happen.
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