Fede Álvarez’s Journey to Create ‘Alien: Romulus’

As the old tagline goes – in space, no one can hear you scream.

But when it comes to “Alien: Romulus,” everyone can hear you buy a ticket at the movie theater. The latest installment in the franchise that began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece racked up an impressive $41 million at the domestic box office over the weekend and has already cleared $100 million globally. Clearly, there is still life in this franchise, thanks largely to cowriter and director Fede Álvarez injecting new (acid) blood into the series.

Álvarez’s “Alien” features a group of younger characters, led by Cailee Spaeny, who are attempting to escape their dull lives on a mining planet by liberating some cryo-tubes and fuel cells from a derelict space station, only to discover an unpleasant lifeform living there. This venture was never a sure thing.

Álvarez revealed that after his 2016 home invasion thriller “Don’t Breathe,” he met with Scott Free, Ridley Scott’s production company. “At that point, I had made two movies and both had worked really well. Someone asked me, ‘If you could do anything, what would you do?’” Álvarez recalled. He quickly responded, “I would do ‘Alien.’ It’s been the one I have always wanted to do.”

At the time, Scott was prepping “Alien: Covenant,” part of a planned trilogy of prequel films that began with “Prometheus.” Despite this, Álvarez shared his take on an “Alien” movie, a pitch that hung in the air for a while.

After Disney purchased the 21st Century assets from Fox in 2019, “Alien” became a priority once again. Steve Asbell, president of production at 20th Century, contacted Álvarez and reminded him of his pitch. After hearing it again, Asbell asked him if he wanted to write and direct it. Álvarez agreed enthusiastically, leading to the creation of “Alien: Romulus.”

Essential to Álvarez’s pitch was the relationship between Rain (Spaeny) and her surrogate brother Andy (David Jonsson), an android programmed to be Rain’s surrogate brother. Álvarez didn’t want to reveal this dynamic in the trailer; he preferred that audiences discover it naturally. He recently found the one-pager he wrote for Ridley Scott and was amazed at how faithful it remained to the final movie.

The movie serves as a bridge between the first “Alien” and James Cameron’s sequel “Aliens.” It begins with a science crew retrieving the alien creature from the first film, now fossilized in a meteorite. The space station Renaissance has two distinct halves — Remus and Romulus. Remus echoes the aesthetic of “Alien,” while Romulus feels more like “Aliens,” complete with a shift in musical tone.

Álvarez emphasized the importance of maintaining the retro-futurism of the original films. He wanted chunky square monitors, clicky keyboards, and other nostalgic elements instead of futuristic holograms. This approach wasn’t just for fans of the original movies; Álvarez hoped to introduce a new audience to these elements that they might find intriguing.

He compared this to watching Quentin Tarantino movies in the 1990s with his father, who recognized the 1970s exploitation influences that were new to Álvarez. He believes that bringing back the passion for cinema he loved as a teenager can captivate a new audience from a fresh perspective.

Álvarez did express some guilt about making a new “Alien” movie when the trilogy Scott envisioned with “Prometheus” seems to have stalled. He mentioned his initial intention of merging the new film with the existing prequels, which he might pursue if given the chance to make another movie. There are elements of “Prometheus” within “Alien: Romulus,” and Álvarez hopes to find a conclusion to the stories started in “Prometheus” and “Covenant,” building up to one big finale.

Whether or not we’ll see that grand finale will depend on how well “Alien: Romulus” performs, especially in its second weekend.

“Alien: Romulus” is in theaters now.

Source: TheWrap