Alien: Romulus is finally here. That's right, Xenomorphs have officially invaded cinemas around the globe! But you may be wondering what this means for the Alien timeline or the changes you'll have to make when rewatching all the Alien movies in order again.
Ridley Scott's original Alien film and James Cameron's sequel Aliens are some of the best sci-fi movies of all time, so needless to say, Romulus had some big shoes to fill. After all, this is the ninth installment in the Alien franchise, helmed by 2013's Evil Dead director Fede Álvarez. Luckily, the film stuck the landing, as we pointed out in our Alien: Romulus review, but it also opened the door for a potential sequel.
So, with the potential of another movie on the horizon, we've gathered all the most recent and relevant Alien news for you. Here, we break down everything you need to know about Alien: Romulus, from its reviews, trailers, cast and more.
Alien: Romulus review
Most of the Alien: Romulus reviews have been positive. However, some fans aren't entirely sold on it being a perfect Alien movie.
Our own Alien: Romulus review gave the film three stars, with Total Film critic Kevin Harley praising how bold the movie was at times but criticizing how over-burdened it is with tying itself to the franchise, becoming over-reverent.
He wrote: "Alvarez’s busy little creature is brash yet naggingly over-burdened. Come for the shocks, suspense and Spaeny/Jonsson; mind the franchise mytho-stodge."
At the time of writing, Alien: Romulus has an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics generally praise the faithful connections to the original Alien movie but have mentioned that the plot could be snappier in places. We'll see how this rating changes as more Alien fans head to the cinema and see the flick for themselves!
Alien: Romulus release date
Alien: Romulus was officially released in theaters on August 16, 2024, for both UK and US audiences. That means you can pay for a ticket and plan a trip to your local Cineplex right now!
The film was initially going to be released straight to streaming on Hulu, but it was switched to a theatrical release right before filming kicked off. We are still waiting on a new streaming release date for the movie, but you can read more about that in our Alien: Romulus streaming guide.
Alien: Romulus trailer
The Alien: Romulus trailer gives us a short but sweet idea of what fans can expect to see in the movie – bloodcurdling screams, plenty of blood, and some gnarly face huggers.
The trailer opens with a new group of survivors heading to a very abandoned and very destroyed-looking space station. As you can guess, the crew isn't alone, and soon, they are overrun by hatching aliens, a Xenomorph, and other creepy crawlies that have a habit of burrowing under the skin.
Honestly, the clip ticks all the boxes for one of the best horror movies. There's gore, suspense, and one killer scene already on display. Cailee Spaeny's Rain gets a very cool introduction, too, as she steps into the frame holding a pulse rifle, paying homage to Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in Aliens. You can read director Fede Álvarez breakdown of the trailer here.
Alien: Romulus plot
Without getting into too many spoilers (read our Alien: Romulus ending explained guide for those), Alien: Romulus is set between the events of Ridley Scott's Alien and James Cameron's Aliens. The film follows a group of young space colonizers who are tasked by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation to uncover Xenomorph DNA from a derelict research station, the Renaissance.
Obviously, this results in an unhappy alien who starts picking them off one by one. Spaeny's character Rain follows in the footsteps of Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley and acts as the main hero against all the sci-fi carnage. "I definitely did everything that I could to bring that character to life. Watching Sigourney play that role – she’s part of the changing of the game that those films did," Spaeny told Total Film.
"I could never be her. But I injected whatever I have in me into that character, and tried to make it three-dimensional – as three-dimensional as possible. So, I hope that that’s there, and it comes alive." Alien: Romulus is sold as a stand-alone story, but its place in the Alien timeline and references to films like Prometheus and the original Alien make it more enjoyable if you know the franchise. So, keep that in mind if you are heading to the cinema!
The film also ends with a few survivors, and considering how there are still 37 years until the events of Aliens, we could easily see a follow-up film in the future as well. For more on a potential Alien Romulus 2, we have a guide breaking down if there will be a sequel to Alien Romulus for you to look over.
Alien: Romulus cast
Priscilla and Civil War star Cailee Spaeny leads the cast of Alien: Romulus alongside a group of other rising stars as her fellow space travellers.
Unfortunately, Sigourney Weaver (Ripley) doesn't appear here. But we do get a legacy actor back in the form of voice and face-mimicking technology, with the late Ian Holm appearing as Officer Rook.
Holm, who originally played the role of Ash in the first Alien movie, passed away in 2020; Daniel Betts portrays his likeness in the new movie. Below is the complete Alien: Romulus cast list.
- Cailee Spaeny – Rain Carradine
- David Jonsson – Andy
- Isabela Merced – Kay
- Archie Renaux – Tyler
- Spike Fearn – Bjorn
- Aileen Wu – Navarro
For more Xenomorphs, check out our guide on the upcoming Alien TV series, Alien: Earth. We also have a list of the best alien movies of all time and all the movies and shows you should watch before Alien: Romulus.
