Alien: Romulus deepens the franchise with a new entry that slots neatly between Alien and Aliens. It follows a group of young space colonists who head out on a scavenger mission on a derelict space station. Starring Priscilla’s Cailee Spaeny and Rye Lane’s David Jonsson as siblings Rain and Andy, the group of cadets soon find themselves fighting for their lives after encountering some terrifying creatures. Facehuggers, chestbursters, and xenomorphs return for the new movie, which landed some rave early reactions.
However, now that the film is out in theaters, you might be wondering if this is a standalone entry or the start of a new series of films. Below, we get into all the details we know about a potential follow-up to Alien: Romulus, from what the creators have teased to how the final act influences things. We’ve also got a breakdown of the other Alien projects on the way too.
Now, be warned, we’re getting into serious spoiler territory below so make sure you’ve seen the film before reading on.
Will there be a sequel to Alien: Romulus?
A sequel hasn’t yet been announced for Alien: Romulus, as it seems to be a standalone movie as it currently stands. However, there is plenty of story set up should a follow-up be announced, thanks to both Rain and Andy surviving. In the final act, the pair make it onto the escape ship, the Crubellon, along with the pregnant Kay who has injected herself with the Prometheus File.
Very quickly, this wreaks havoc on Kay’s system and she gives birth to a xenomorph-human hybrid called ‘the Offspring’, which quickly grows into a terrifying creature. Rain has to channel her inner Ripley to shoot it out of the ship, zipping herself into a space suit before she shoots the creature out of the cargo doors.
In the final moments, she plots the course to Yvaga, ignoring Rook’s request they take the DNA to the Weyland-Yutani base. Rain straps Andy into a cryo-chamber, vowing to fix him, before placing herself into one as well. As the movie ends, she records her captain’s log, stating that she’s ready to face whatever comes next when she arrives.
Given that both main characters survive, it doesn’t feel out of the question that we might see them back on screen again. Right now, nothing has been confirmed but one person who is hoping that there’s more to come is Ridley Scott. "I hope Fede’s got another one up his sleeve because I think this is going to do really well," he recently told the LA Times. "He’s got a streak of brilliance."
What other Alien movies and shows are on the way?
While there may be no announcement yet about a sequel to Alien: Romulus, another major entry in the franchise is on the way. The new TV show Alien: Earth recently wrapped filming and is due out in 2025.
Written and directed by Noah Hawley, very little is known currently about the project, aside from that it will be set three decades before the events of Alien (1979). The prequel has also got a pretty stacked cast, including Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, and Timothy Olyphant. It’s due to be released on FX on Hulu.
As of now, no other movies or shows are planned for the Alien franchise. It will be a waiting game to see how well Alien: Romulus does.
Alien: Romulus is out in theaters now – read our Alien: Romulus review. For more, check out our guide to the Alien: Romulus ending explained, our breakdown of that Alien: Romulus cameo, and a primer on how Alien: Romulus connects to Alien and Aliens.
