Fede Alvarez Teases Bold New Direction for ‘Alien: Romulus’ Sequel: ‘Uncharted Waters’ Are Ahead

‘Alien: Romulus’ received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its striking visuals, claustrophobic tension, and a strong performance by Cailee Spaeny. Many called it one of the best sequels in the ‘Alien’ franchise, with some even comparing it to the classic ‘Aliens.’ However, some critics felt it lacked depth in character development and ambition, with a few citing the film’s formulaic approach and predictable pacing, there’s also that “best moments” highlight reel that not many fans liked.

Soon after the movie was released, Álvarez mentioned in an interview that he had ideas for a sequel to ‘Romulus,’ but he didn’t want to rush into it. He believes in taking time to develop the story and only making a sequel if there is strong demand from the audience.

In October 2024, 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell said they are working on a sequel idea and are close to finalizing a deal with Fede Álvarez, who has a concept for the film.

It seems that the deal is still not finalized but Alvarez is already discussing his next potential movies. The filmmaker recently told Empire that if a ‘Romulus’ sequel happens, he plans to take the ‘Alien’ franchise in a new and unexpected direction.

He and co-writer Rodo Sayagues are excited about the possibilities and have already explored many of the ideas they wanted to in ‘Romulus.’ He hinted that the sequel would follow Cailee Spaeny’s character, Rain, and explore uncharted areas of the ‘Alien’ universe, offering fresh experiences and discoveries for the audience.

Rodo [Sayagues, co-writer] and I are working on that right now. We’re excited about where it can go. We’ve almost checked all of the boxes of things that I want to see [in Romulus], and brought back a lot of the things I hadn’t seen in a while. Wherever we go now, we can go into uncharted waters.I think it’ll be so exciting to go with characters you know from this movie, to a place in the Alien franchise that we’ve never been before, and to discover things that you’ve never seen before.

He stated that a direct ‘Romulus’ sequel would only happen if they find a compelling story to tell. He emphasized that sequels should be made for the right reasons, not just because they’re possible, and he wouldn’t proceed unless they have a strong idea worthy of the franchise.

“The mistake usually with sequels is to make them because you can, and because of the success of Romulus, we definitely can make a sequel. But I wouldn’t do it unless we have a really good idea for it, something that’s worthy of the title.

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