Romulus' Sequel Gets Unexpected Update That May Worry Some Fans Actorsvaultpro

After a period of mixed reception with prequel films like Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, the sci-fi horror franchise has had an amazing turnaround over the past couple of years. Following the critical and financial success of Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, a sequel was not long in being announced, but without the director at the helm. Now, Álvarez has revealed exactly why he is not coming back for the next installment – basically, he never really planned to. Speaking on the Epic Film Guys podcast, he said:

“I dont think I was ever going to. We always knew right when we finished – this is one of those things where you come in and you do one, and get out. Cameron, Fincher… all those directors I love, they went and did one. Obviously Ridley created it, he has the right to make a bunch of them.

“We did want to write it. Honestly it’s because we love the characters we created so we want to make sure no one kills them right at the beginning of the next one. They went and killed Hicks and Newt just like that, hey let’s not let that happen. We wrote it and made sure they stayed alive, and now we can let someone else make it.”

Previously, at the Red Carpet event for Universal Halloween Horror Nights, Álvarez was asked for an update on the sequel to Romulus, where the filmmaker dropped the news that he would no longer be directing the movie. Known for helming the 2013 Evil Dead film as well as the Stephen Lang-led horror film Don’t Breathe, Álvarez had been providing brief updates throughout the year about the writing process for the Romulus sequel. While he has written the script, the filmmaker would tell TooFab that he and executive producer Ridley Scott were on the hunt for a new director for the movie, saying:

“We just finished the script, actually, for a sequel for Romulus. But I’m gonna pass the torch on this one as director. I’m going to produce it, with Ridley Scott, we’re gonna produce it together and we’re right now trying to find a new filmmaker to come in. I think that’s usually what has happened, except for Ridley, filmmakers come, you make one and you pass the baton to the next one. But we wrote the story because we really love what we started with Romulus, and we want to continue the story. We love the story, and now we just want to find a director who really wants to go for the jugular.”

‘Alien: Romulus’ Sequel Will Differentiate Itself From Its Predecessor With a New Director

20th Century Studios

Besides Ridley Scott directing the original Alien film as well as the Prometheus and Alien: Covenant prequel films, the franchise has usually displayed a pattern of getting new directors for subsequent films. James Cameron would follow up Scott’s original 1979 film with Aliens, an action-packed blockbuster that has its own unique style and visual flair that differentiates itself from its horror roots. David Fincher would then direct Alien 3, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet would direct Alien: Resurrection.

Had Álvarez stayed on as a director for the Alien: Romulus sequel, he would have joined the rare company of Scott as the only director to have made multiple Alien films. Still, it’s admirable that the team behind the sequel wants to have a new director join the franchise and deliver their own take on the Xenomorph horrors that await Cailee Spaney’s character Rain. With the open-ended conclusion of Romulus, the possibilities are endless for the next filmmaker to take Álvarez script and deliver another terrifying entry in the franchise, or perhaps even dip into another genre similar to what Cameron did with Aliens.