Initial Reactions Following the Premiere

Fede Álvarez’s highly anticipated Alien: Romulus made its debut Monday night as 20th Century Studios held the world premiere in Los Angeles. The initial reactions are already lighting up social media.

As the eighth installment of the iconic Alien series, Romulus is set in the timeline between Ridley Scott’s 1979 original film Alien and James Cameron’s 1986 sequel Aliens. The story follows a group of young colonists who stumble upon an abandoned space station, only to face the terrifying alien creature that has defined the franchise over the years. The cast features Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn.

The production team includes notable names such as Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, and Walter Hill.

Romulus was initially planned for a Hulu release, much like Dan Trachtenberg’s well-received Predator prequel, Prey, from 2022. However, the studio opted for a theatrical release at the beginning of principal photography. “Right when we started shooting it, the studio was like, ‘Fuck it, we’re going into theaters with this,’” Álvarez told The Hollywood Reporter in an in-depth March interview.

Romulus is set to hit theaters widely on August 16.

While full reviews for Romulus are expected to be published on Wednesday, early reactions from Monday night’s premiere are already circulating on social media.