Summary
Alien: Romulusheld a vice grip on audiences earlier this year, climbing the box office rankings and raking in critical acclaim. It was a return to form for theAlienfranchise and Disney’s 20th Century Studios is clearly hoping to continue its success.
Alien: Romuluschronologically takes place in 2142,between the events ofAlienandAliens. The movie follows a new group of characters who become trapped on an abandoned space station overrun by terrifying face-huggers and Xenomorphs.Alien: Romuluswas written and directed byDon’t Breathe’sFede Álvarez and produced by originalAliendirector, Ridley Scott. While originally intended for streaming, similar to 2022’s Predator moviePrey,Disney ended up opting to releaseAlien: Romulustheatrically. This was fortunate, as the newAlienfilm grossed over $350 million at the worldwide box office andbroke records to become the highest-grossing horror film in IMAX.Alien: Romuluswas also well-received by critics and scored 80% on Rotten Tomatos’ Tomatometer.
Alien: Romulus Gets Sequel Update From Studio Boss
Following the success ofAlien: Romulus, a sequel to the film has now been all but confirmed by the head of 20th Century Studios. In aninterview with The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell spoke about the future of theAlien, Predator(andAlien vs. Predator) franchises. AddressingAlien: Romulus,Asbell revealed they were “working on a sequel idea now” with the studio close to closing a deal with Alvarez to return. “[Alvarez] has an idea that we’re working on,” Asbell confirmed.
The studio head also seemingly confirmed that theAlien: Romulussequel would bring back its original stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, as the humanand android siblings, Rain and Andy. Both actors’ performances were praised as standouts inAlien: Romulus,so it makes sense that the sequel would continue their story. “The two survivors, Rain and Andy, played by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, were real highlights of the film. And so I always think of it like, ‘Wow, where do people want to see them go next?’ We know there’s going to be aliens. We know there’s going to be great horror set pieces. But I fell in love with both of them and I want to see what their story is,” Asbell said.
The two survivors, Rain and Andy, played by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, were real highlights of the film. And so I always think of it like, ‘Wow, where do people want to see them go next?’
An Update on Alien vs. Predator
Surprisingly, Asbell also gave an update on another long-dormantsci-fi title:Alien vs. Predator. 20th Century Studios saw much success withPrey, which was aPredatorprequel set in the 1700s. Now that the studio has also gained traction with theAlienfranchise once again, it seems like the two sci-fi franchises may be heading for a collision. When asked about a crossover film, Asbell said it would “probably” happen, before clarifying “it wouldn’t be in the way you think.” The executive explained that a newAlien vs. Predatormovie would be an organic creation out of the recent continuations of the two legacy franchises, likely with the same characters. However, he also added that they “haven’t gotten to that point, and we’re not just going to bang it out.”
It appears the studio is very focused on continuing its success of the recent runs in boththeAlienandPredatorfranchises, before jumping into crossover ideas. But should the now-confirmedAlien: Romulussequel and the 2025Predatormovies continue to be winners for 20th Century Studios, the obvious next step would be to see the two worlds collide.
