Xenomorphs will return to invade our screens once again! According to Fangoria, Alien: Romulus director, Fede Alvaraz, confirmed on an episode of the Marea Nocturna podcast that the next Aliens movie is set to begin filming in Fall of this year.
While we don't know much about the next installment in the Aliens franchise, the end of Alien: Romulus left lone survivors Rain and her adopted synthetic brother, Andy, traveling through space while in cryostasis. As we've seen in previous movies anything can happen. The first Alien movie left Ellen Ripley in a similar place only to be awakened eight decades later. It's in that interim that Alien: Romulus takes place.
The timeline for the Alien franchise is vast, expanding over millennia, and it gives Alvaraz a lot of space to play in. Like Ripley, we could see Rain and Andy end up somewhere decades or centuries later, or we could see them seconds from where we left them. Either way, it'll be interesting to see where we land on the timeline and to return to these characters and this expansive universe.
With Alien: Romulus acting as both a prequel to the rest of the franchise and a sequel to the first Alien movie, it was a delight to see instances and call-backs to the other movies while still giving the audiences something entirely new. I hope we can see that same follow-line through the sequel, perhaps even more peripherally, depending on when they decide to pick up the narrative. It would be fascinating to know that Rain and Ripley are both awake at the same time in different parts of the universe.
I also enjoyed that Alien: Romulus felt more like a return to form. The first Alien movie was described as a slasher movie in space and that's exactly what it was. The horror was there in the claustrophobic atmosphere and the way the Xenomorph moved through the ship unseen until the last act. Fede Alvaraz really brought that element back with Romulus and I was pleasantly surprised by a few jump scares that got me when I was sitting in the theater. I would love see him keep that same tone and what I consider a perfect blend of sci-fi action and horror without falling into the trap of some of the later movies where they either leaned more into the action or they were just downright bleak.
One thing is for certain, there will be aliens. Xenomorphs, much like the franchise itself, are a highly adaptable invasive species that can breed with any lifeform. We've seen countless hybrids each more terrifying than the last, and we're looking forward to seeing more. Bring on the face-huggers!
The sequel to Alien: Romulus begins filming in October of this year and if you can't wait for more xenomorph content, be sure to check out FX's Alien: Earth coming in August!