Romulus Director ‘Banned’ from Reddit for ‘Impersonating’ Self and Confirming Fan Theory

Fede Álvarez, the director of the hit sci-fi prequel Alien: Romulus, found himself in an odd situation when he was banned from Reddit for “impersonating” himself.

Álvarez had joined a subreddit dedicated to discussing the Alien films to engage with the fans. However, his account was flagged by the moderators, who suspected him of lying about his identity. Soon after, he received a notification stating that he was “permanently banned” from the subreddit.

Taking the incident in stride, Álvarez shared his experience on X/Twitter. “Got banned from the ALIEN subreddit for apparently trying to impersonate, myself,” he wrote, adding a laughing emoji and a screenshot of the message he received.

It didn’t take long for the moderators to realize their mistake. Álvarez’s account was “immediately reinstated,” and a moderator described him as an “awesome guy” after having a friendly chat with him.

Álvarez himself seemed amused by the whole episode. “I’m sorry, just found it hilarious,” he messaged the moderators. “My bad. No harm done. Thanks again for such great work moderating my favorite subreddit.”

Before his temporary removal, Álvarez had confirmed a fan theory related to two characters in Alien: Romulus. One fan speculated about a scene involving spacefarers Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Kay (Isabela Merced). “Right before Bjorn’s death, he and Kay share a moment where they touch each other in a very intimate way. Am I the only one who thought this was a sign that Bjorn is the ‘jerk’ who got her pregnant?” the fan asked. Álvarez confirmed, “Yes he is. Good catch!”

In other news related to the film, Spoilers follow for Alien: Romulus…

The scene in question involves Bjorn and Kay sharing a moment that fans found particularly telling. Right before Bjorn’s demise, the intimacy between the two left fans speculating about their past relationship. The confirmation from Álvarez about Bjorn being the one who got Kay pregnant offered deeper context to their brief but intense interaction.

The film itself has garnered mixed reviews. In a three-star review, Clarisse Loughrey from The Independent noted that Alien: Romulus “has the capacity for greatness.” She emphasized that, “If you could somehow surgically extract its strongest sequences, you’d see that beautiful, blood-quivering harmony between old-school practical effects and modern horror verve, still gooey and repulsive in all the ways an Alien film should be.”

She further added, “At one point, the camera watches, unflinching, as a phallic Xenomorph crown breaches the opening of an aggressively vaginal fluid sac. Perfect. Yet there’s an uncomfortable, ‘canary in the coal mine’ aura to what Romulus signals about Hollywood’s near future. Now, even smart movies have to clock in their hours as brand ambassadors and nostalgia vehicles.”

Alien: Romulus is currently showing in cinemas.

Source: The Independent, X/Twitter