With “Alien: Romulus,” director Fede Álvarez aims to breathe new life into the sci-fi horror franchise. He even has an idea for “Alien vs. Predator 3.”
Fans of the “Alien” movies can finally see a new film in theaters again. Since August 15, 2024, “Alien: Romulus” has been showing in local cinemas. They had to wait seven long years, but the wait was apparently worth it for most: Álvarez’s sci-fi horror received a very good 87% audience score on the review site Rotten Tomatoes at the time. On Metacritic, it scored 8.0 points, while on IMDb, the film currently shines with 7.5/10 points. The reaction from the kino.de editorial team was less enthusiastic.
So, has Álvarez cracked the code with his mix of fan service, best-of, and new ideas? He already succeeded in reinvigorating a horror franchise with “Evil Dead” in 2013—a “requel,” a film that serves as both a sequel and a reboot. Apparently, the 46-year-old is far from done with the “Alien” universe: In an interview with Deadline, he revealed that he even has an idea for a new “Alien vs. Predator” film, also known as “AVP.”
We remember: The infamous crossover films “Alien vs. Predator” (2004) and “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” (2007) led an entire generation in the 2000s to mistakenly believe that the “Alien” and “Predator” movies were just mindless entertainment. Well, that may be debatable for the “Predator” franchise. Worse still, Ridley Scott and James Cameron, creators and directors of the two best “Alien” films, “Alien” and “Aliens,” had originally planned to make another “Alien” movie together. Cameron wanted to write and produce the script, while Scott was to direct (via AMA-Reddit). This plan was undermined by Paul W.S. Anderson’s “Alien vs. Predator,” as Cameron accused the decision-makers:
“What happened was that [20th Century] Fox decided to go with ‘Alien vs. Predator,’ and I said: ‘I really don’t recommend that; you’re ruining the franchise. It’s like Universal with ‘Dracula vs. The Wolf Man’—and then I lost interest in making another ‘Alien’ film.'”
“Alien vs. Predator 3”: Fede Álvarez Wants to Follow Tarantino/Rodriguez Model
Álvarez now wanting to continue the series that, according to Cameron and Scott, harmed both franchises, sounds bold. On the other hand, horror filmmakers are highly visual people. Their films often feature simple premises and excellent execution. Style over substance is not a disadvantage in the horror genre. Álvarez even believes that for a potential third “AVP,” he would need to collaborate with Dan Trachtenberg. Trachtenberg delivered the first truly good “Predator” film in decades with “Prey.”
The Uruguayan filmmaker already knows which prominent model he and Trachtenberg should follow for “Alien vs. Predator 3”:
“Maybe it’s something that I have to co-direct with my buddy [Dan] Trachtenberg. Maybe we should approach it like [Quentin] Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did with ‘From Dusk Till Dawn.’ I’ll direct one half, and he (Trachtenberg) will direct the other half.”
Whether this will come to fruition depends on how well “Alien: Romulus” performs in theaters, Álvarez emphasizes. But for now, things are looking good for the opening weekend, with the sci-fi horror possibly bringing in $40 million in the U.S. right from the start.
