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Alien: Romulus Sequel Receives an Exciting New Update
Fede Álvarez, the director behind last year’s hit Alien: Romulus, has confirmed that he’s already working on the sequel and hopes to begin filming later this year, according to Collider. Álvarez also teased that the next installment will push the franchise into “uncharted waters,” delivering an even bigger cinematic experience than its predecessor.
The Don’t Breathe filmmaker shared these insights during a panel discussion following an IMAX screening of Alien: Romulus, where he was joined by VFX Supervisor Eric Barbra and Weta FX’s Dan Macarin. When asked about the sequel, Álvarez revealed that he is currently writing the script, adding, “I think the sequel is my next movie. I hope I can shoot it this year.”
A New Chapter for the Alien Franchise
When discussing the sequel’s direction, Álvarez made it clear that he intends to take the Alien universe into territory never explored before.
“With Romulus, we checked a lot of the boxes for things I wanted to see as a fan, and I bet that if I wanted to see them, some of you did too. This film brought back elements I was eager to revisit. But for the sequel, we now have a vast horizon ahead of us. Alien is so many things—it’s Alien, it’s Prometheus, and everything in between. It’s a huge universe, and now the plan is to venture into truly uncharted waters for the franchise.”
For longtime fans, especially those who felt Romulus leaned heavily on familiar franchise elements, this promise of fresh, unexplored territory is an exciting prospect. Taking the series in a bold new direction could be exactly what the Alien saga needs.
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One character who won’t be making a return—at least according to Fede Álvarez—is Ellen Ripley. The director recently dismissed a rumour circulating on a fan site that Sigourney Weaver was in talks to reprise her iconic role in the Romulus sequel. Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Álvarez shut down the speculation with a brief but definitive statement: "Fun gossip. But not true at all."
Meanwhile, Alien: Romulus is currently in the running for an Oscar in the Best Visual Effects category. The film’s effects became a point of controversy due to its blend of practical and CGI techniques—particularly in resurrecting actor Ian Holm as a different model of his android character from the original Alien. The digital recreation faced enough backlash that Álvarez later "fixed" it for the film’s streaming and home release.