News culture “Such an incredible twist”: the next Alien film will be very different from the other parts of the SF saga
Publié le 18/03/2024 à 06:00
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One of the most famous cinematic sagas of science fiction and horror will haunt cinemas again in 2024. Alien: Romulus will try to make people forget the prequels however, made by Ridley Scott by refocusing the subject around the most terrifying creature of the 7th Art… the xenomorph.
The Alien franchise has had its ups and downs during its existence. If the first films instantly acquired the status of cult works of science fiction and then cinema, it is different for the following ones. Ridley Scott launched the xenomorph saga in 1979 with Alien, the Eighth Passenger and in the process established the rules of the slasher subgenre in Hollywood. He then passed the torch to James Cameron who produced a much more action-oriented sequel. Aliens Returns was released in 1986 and expanded this horrific SF universe by introducing, among other things, the concept of a queen.
The Stations of the Cross begins just after with the chaotic development (to put it mildly) of the third part of the cinematographic saga. David Fincher, then a young director, emerged from this experience exhausted and somewhat embittered. Alien 3 landed in theaters in 1992 and divided critics. The release of Alien, Resurrection in 1997 with Jean-Pierre Jeunet behind the camera put an end to the exploitation of the license in theaters for 15 years following once again mixed feedback.
Ridley Scott takes over the reins of Alien in 2012 with Prometheus, which is clearly not unanimous among fans of the xenomorph and science fiction. In many aspects, this so-called prequel alters the saga, moves away from it… and it is not Alien: Covenant screened 5 years later which corrects the situation. The Christ symbolism embodied by Michael Fassbender seals this prelogy once and for all. Alien is not dead yet. A TV series and a film are currently in the works and intended for Disney+ and the cinema respectively. The movie is called Alien: Romulus.
Another vision of Alien at the cinema
The new cinematographic project taking the Alien franchise as a framework could reacquaint spectators with the most lethal creature in the universe. Subtitled Romulus, this sci-fi film is directed by rising horror star Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don't Breathe: House of Darkness) and co-written by Rodo Sayagues with whom he has worked on several projects. This new adaptation above all has the intelligence to rely on a young guard of actors and actresses ready to be the victims of a xenomorph on the hunt, and not the stars occupying the screen.
Alien: Romulus sets its plot between the events of Alien: The Eighth Passenger (1979) and Aliens: Return (1986) and follows the story of a group of young people who are victims of an extremely dangerous thinking creature… the xenomorph. If the film still remains very mysterious, it gradually lets slip some information that could arouse the curiosity of moviegoers. According to actor David Jonsson, this new Alien film will be “very different”. During an exclusive interview with Movieweb, he confirms that Alien: Romulus stands out from the other parts of the saga.
I'm not sure what I can say right now, but I know… it's very, very, very different. I think Alien was a little bit before my generation, in terms of its depth and impact at the time, but it took such an incredible turn. And we had Fede Alvarez as director, Ridley Scott as producer. It was incredible to work with these people, and with Cailee Spaeny, who is a brilliant actress. I think it's going to be great. I am very enthusiastic. -David Jonsson
Alien: Romulus is released on August 14, 2024 in cinemas in France.
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