The iconic Alien franchise is set to make a triumphant return with a new sequel, and it has received a significant nod of approval from none other than Ridley Scott, the director of the original 1979 Alien film. Fede Álvarez, known for his work on Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead, is at the helm of this revival, co-writing the sequel reportedly titled Alien: Romulus with Rodo Sayagues.
Álvarez, in a conversation with Guillermo del Toro at the DGA Latino Summit 2023, revealed the completion of his director’s cut of Alien: Romulus. He expressed the anxiety he felt about showing it to Ridley Scott, stating, “I had to go through the incredibly tense process of obviously sending it to Ridley Scott,” who is a lead producer on the sequel.
The director’s apprehension was rooted in Scott’s reputation for being particularly critical, especially when it comes to films related to his original works. Álvarez said, “I wanted him to see it before anybody. And everyone gave me the head’s up that Ridley is really tough. He’s really tough, particularly if it has something to do with his movies. He was really tough on ‘Blade Runner [2049],’ which I thought was a masterpiece, and he had issues with it because it’s really hard for him because it’s his work. I asked him about the new ‘Top Gun’ and he’s like ‘meh.’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ And he was like, ‘My brother’s was original and this is like eh.’ He really respected it, but you could see how tough he was. So I was like, ‘There’s no way I win this one.’”
Álvarez’s decision to meet Scott in person after he watched Alien: Romulus was driven by his desire to hear the feedback directly. He shared, “Even if he didn’t ask for it, I was gonna go there and sit at a table and look at him and get it. Even if he was gonna say, ‘You destroyed my legacy,’ I wanted to be in front of him and see him in the eye. I didn’t want to get an email where it says ‘Ridley says…’”
To Álvarez’s delight, Scott’s reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Recounting the moment, Álvarez said, “And then he walks into the room and he did say, ‘Fede, what can I say? It’s fucking great.’ For me it was like… My family knows it was one of the best moments of my life to have a master like him, who I admired so much, to even watch a movie I made but particularly something like this… and talk to me for an hour about what he liked about it. One of the best compliments he said was, ‘The dialogue is great. Are you the writer?’ Yes!”
While much about the plot of Alien: Romulus remains under wraps, 20th Century Studios and Disney have teased that it revolves around “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Fans of the franchise can mark their calendars as Alien: Romulus is slated for release on Aug. 16, 2024.