Alien: Romulusgave an incredible jolt of energy to theAlienfranchise, butthe film’s upcoming sequel will need to avoid doing what James Cameron did when following up onAlien.EveryAlienmoviehas seemed to find a different identity throughout the run of the franchise, with movies likeAlien vs. Predatorfeeling worlds apart fromAlien: Covenant.
This diversity in tone is not a bad thing. Many still believe thatPrometheusis the best modernAlienmovie, and for good reason.The movie took a unique approach to the cosmology of theAlienworldunder the direction of Ridley Scott, crafting something much bigger and stranger from the lore up to that point.
While in many cases theAlienmovie timelineis important, in other cases it is less of a focus.The myth and history of this world are a necessary part of informing the franchise,but there are a number of details that came out of the most recent film,Alien: Romulus, that should be given a much larger slice of attention in future installments.
Aliens Leaned Into Action Over Horror After Ridley Scott’s Original
James Cameron Brought In His Distinct Science Fiction Style
Aliensimmediately changed the franchise when it was released in 1986. Rather than continuing the focus on small, tight spaces and a creeping sense of horror, theJames Cameron moviebrought in his hallmarks of military fighters to take on the threat.To match this scale, the movie increased the number of Xenomorphs, transforming the sequel into an action-heavy event.
While the director was certainly adept at horror, having previously madeThe TerminatorandPiranah II: The Spawning, whichCameron disowned,science-fiction action was always his driving passion.He brought back Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and played off of her action prowess from the end of the first film, transforming her into a hero.
Cameron made sense as a hire at the time, having built a horror background. However, much ofthe skill, control, and technical proficiency that would come to be notable parts of his future films was clearly seenin his work onAliens. He took the first film and expanded the world and the scope in surprising ways.
This worked incredibly well. The film increased on the domestic grosses of its predecessor, and many still consider it to be one of thebest sequels of all time.Cameron would later prove himself to be a master of the sequel form,putting togetherTerminator 2: Judgment Day, and the much more recentAvatar: The Way of Water.
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However, not every filmmaker is James Cameron.While Fede Álvarez has proven himself to be a strong director, he is distinct from Cameron in style, method, and outlook.With that in mind, the upcomingRomulussequel will need to play to its strengths and not follow the pattern that Cameron set in the 1980s.
Alien: Romulus' Sequel Needs To Keep Its Horror Roots
The Next Alien Film Should Not Stray Too Far From What Worked
The sequel toAlien: Romulusneeds to be a horror movie.Romulusleaned heavily into horror, and that worked well for the film, especially withÁlvarez, who is best known for his work on films likeDon’t BreatheandThe Evil Deadremake, directing.Álvarez has proven himself adept at crafting tense horror.
The pivot back to horror inRomulusfelt fresh for the series and needs to be followed up on. Following the example of the prior films would be a mistake.Rain and Andy are compelling characters, andthey can certainly handle some threats, but they are not action heroes.Treating them otherwise in the sequel would be to its detriment.
Concrete details on a sequel toAlien: Romulusare minimal, but Fede Álvarez has been working on the script, and rumors suggest the film could start shooting later this year.
There is room for otherAlienprojects to explore other sides of the world.Alien: Earthhas shown off terrifying creaturesand their implications on the universe, which could help make the upcoming series a more story-focused installment. With talk of anotherAlienandPredatorcrossover,there are plenty of other places to explore other genres and lore.
Romulusworked because it was a small horror movie.The film had the whole universe ofAlienas a backdrop, but it used these details to craft a claustrophobic thriller.Romulus' most terrifying scenes, including those with the Offspring, were built around tense horror rather than violent action, and the sequel should be aware of why that worked.
Switching the genre in a sequel rarely makes sense, and rarely works, as was seen in thebox office performance ofM3GAN 2.0. With Álvarez returning, the upcoming sequel should play to the director’s strengths. His action film,The Girl in the Spider’s Web,was his weakest project yet, and attempting to replicateAliens’ success would be a misstep.
A sequel toAlien: Romulusis among the most exciting projects in the future of theAlienuniverse.The last film was such a pleasant surprise, and gave a fresh and modern look at the world ofAlienwith a tone that harkened back to the original. Hopefully, a sequel toAlien: Romulusis able to match that film’s success.
