Alien: Romulus (2024)

August 12, 2024 (Los Angeles)August 16, 2024 (United States)

August 12, 2024 (Los Angeles)
August 16, 2024 (United States)

Alien: Romulus is a 2024 science fiction horror film directed by Fede Álvarez who co-wrote the script with Rodo Sayagues. Produced by 20th Century Studios, Scott Free Productions and Brandywine Productions, it is part of the Alien franchise, set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). The film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu as six downtrodden young space colonists who encounter hostile creatures while scavenging a derelict space station in which they plan to navigate to another planet.

At CinemaCon in April 2019, 20th Century Studios (then-named 20th Century Fox) announced plans to produce future Alien films. Álvarez was attached as director in March 2022, and Spaeny joined as the lead later that year. Filming took place from March to July 2023.

Alien: Romulus premiered in Los Angeles on August 12, 2024, and was theatrically released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on August 16. The film grossed $350.9 million worldwide and received positive reviews. It has received several industry nominations, namely for its technical aspects, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. A sequel is in development.

Storyline

In 2142, a Weyland-Yutani probe recovers a large cocoon from the wreckage of the USCSS Nostromo. Months later, at the rundown Jackson's Star colony on the perpetually dark planet LV-410, orphaned colonist Rain Carradine discovers that Weyland-Yutani has forcibly extended her work contract. Determined to escape, she teams up with her adopted brother Andy (a malfunctioning android reprogrammed by her father), her ex-boyfriend Tyler, his pregnant sister Kay, their cousin Bjorn, and Bjorn's adopted sister Navarro. The group commandeers the hauler Corbelan IV to reach Renaissance, a seemingly abandoned Weyland-Yutani station split into the modules Romulus and Remus, intending to steal cryostasis equipment to survive the nine-year journey to Yvaga III, an apparently idyllic planet unaffiliated with Weyland-Yutani.

Bjorn taunts Andy with the fact that Yvaga III does not allow androids, meaning he will have to remain behind, leaving Rain guilt-ridden. Tyler and Bjorn attempt to retrieve cryostasis fuel but unintentionally trigger a lockdown and release dozens of facehugger parasites. In desperation, Rain upgrades Andy's security access with a control chip from the station's damaged science officer android, Rook. However, this reprogramming shifts Andy's loyalty from Rain to Weyland-Yutani. Andy leads the group to safety, but not before a facehugger impregnates Navarro.

Rain reactivates Rook, who reveals that the cocoon contained the xenomorph that killed most of the Nostromo's crew. Renaissance scientists experimented on the alien, reverse bioengineering the facehuggers. However, the xenomorph escaped and massacred most of the crew; those remaining died when the xenomorph was killed, as its acidic blood melted through Remus's hull, causing explosive decompression.

Bjorn attempts to flee with Navarro and Kay on the Corbelan, but an infant xenomorph bursts from Navarro's chest, killing her and causing the Corbelan to crash into Romulus's hangar, accelerating the station's inevitable collision course with LV-410's planetary rings. While the infant xenomorph rapidly gestates into its adult form, Bjorn injures it with a stun baton and is sprayed with its blood, which kills him. Kay escapes into Romulus, pursued by the creature. Rain and Tyler attempt to rescue her, but Andy suspects the xenomorph is using her as bait, and refuses to open the door separating them. Helpless, they watch as the xenomorph takes Kay.

Rook instructs Andy to retrieve Z-01, a potent fluid harvested from the facehuggers that can rapidly rewrite and adapt DNA. Rook intends to use it to create genetically perfect humans capable of thriving in space. He orders that it be taken to Jackson's Star, or he will not release the Corbelan. Rain and Tyler arm themselves with rifles, but Andy warns them against injuring the xenomorph to avoid another explosive decompression.

The group discovers a xenomorph nest, where they rescue a badly injured Kay. Andy offers her a dose of Z-01, which allows her to heal rapidly. Hordes of facehuggers and xenomorphs attack them, and Tyler sacrifices himself to protect Rain and Kay while Andy is incapacitated. Rain drags Kay to safety and returns to rescue Andy, restoring his original programming. With xenomorphs and facehuggers surrounding them, Rain disables the station's gravity, allowing her to shoot them without their blood touching the hull. As the gravity reactivates, Rain is confronted by the Navarro xenomorph, but Andy intervenes and kills it. Rain and Andy escape aboard the Corbelan as Renaissance is destroyed by LV-410's rings.

As Rain and Andy prepare for their trip to Yvaga, Kay gives birth to a human–xenomorph hybrid mutated by the Z-01. The hybrid kills Kay and disables Andy before Rain ejects it into LV-410's rings, disintegrating it. After recording an audio log, Rain and Andy enter cryostasis, hoping to reach Yvaga III alive.

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