The new Alien movie, Alien: Romulus, recently returned the franchise to the big screen after a seven-year hiatus and is now a popular streaming choice on HBO Max. FlixPatrol data shows it’s currently the fifth most-watched movie on the platform globally.
Even though Alien: Romulus takes place between Alien and Aliens, it’s a great starting point for new viewers. The film doesn’t follow Ellen Ripley’s story or the events involving David from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Instead, it introduces a fresh set of characters – a younger group who find themselves trapped on a space station with a terrifying Xenomorph.
Did Alien: Romulus Save the Alien Franchise?
Fede Álvarez directed Alien: Romulus, revitalizing a series that many felt had become predictable. He offered a unique take on the dark, futuristic world of Alien, focusing on its potential for hyper-capitalism and societal decay, and introducing themes the franchise hadn’t touched on before.
The film isn’t completely separate from the events of Alien, but it doesn’t follow directly as a sequel either.
Alien: Romulus is the newest film in the Alien franchise. It performed well in theaters, grossing $350.9 million worldwide on an $80 million budget.
The film received positive reviews, with an 80% ‘Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% approval rating from its audience.
Will There Be an Alien: Romulus Sequel?
Following the success of Alien: Romulus, Disney immediately began working on a follow-up film. While Luis Álvarez may not direct the sequel, he did write the screenplay himself. Early reports suggest there are plans for a continuation of the story.
I never really intended to direct a sequel to Romulus. From the moment we finished the first film, we all knew it would be a one-time thing. Directors I admire, like James Cameron and David Fincher, often do just one film in a franchise. Of course, Ridley Scott, as the creator, has every right to continue the series if he wants,” Álvarez explained to an audience at HorrorHound Weekend in February 2025.
He explained that they really wanted to write the story because they were so attached to the characters they’d developed. They wanted to protect those characters and prevent anyone from immediately killing them off, referencing how Hicks and Newt were killed early in Alien 3. So, they wrote it themselves to ensure the characters survived, and now they’re happy to hand it over to someone else.
Fede Álvarez directed Alien: Romulus, a movie he wrote with Rodo Sayagues. The film features Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu in its cast.
Alien: Romulus is available to stream now on Netflix.
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2026-03-14 04:39