What Do We Want From A New Alien Movie?

As the release of Alien: Romulus on August 16 approaches, the anticipation is palpable. The Alien franchise, once a crown jewel of 20th Century Fox, has been a touchstone of science fiction and horror for over four decades. Now, with Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, a new chapter in the Alien saga is about to unfold. This change in ownership brings a new direction and potential for the franchise—but what can we, the fans, expect from it?

The Legacy of Alien: A Jewel in Fox’s Crown

The original Alien film, directed by Ridley Scott in 1979, was a game-changer in science fiction and horror. Its claustrophobic setting, H.R. Giger’s nightmarish creature design, and slow-burn tension made it an instant classic. The film wasn’t just a hit but a cultural phenomenon that redefined the genre. Over the years, the Alien franchise expanded, with sequels like James Cameron’s action-packed Aliens (1986) and David Fincher’s bleak Alien 3 (1992) adding new layers to the story.

For years, Alien remained a crown jewel in 20th Century Fox’s portfolio. It was a series that balanced commercial success with critical acclaim, with each new installment pushing the boundaries of what science fiction horror could achieve. However, the franchise has also had its missteps, particularly in the last decade, where the focus shifted away from the visceral horror that made the original so compelling.

Ridley Scott’s Return: A Mixed Bag

Ridley Scott’s return to the franchise with Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017) was met with mixed reactions. Rather than deliver the straightforward terror that fans craved, Scott delved into grand philosophical questions about creation, existence, and humanity’s place in the universe. Prometheus teased the origins of the Xenomorphs but left many fans unsatisfied with its ambiguous narrative and lack of the iconic creature.

Alien: Covenant attempted to bridge the gap between the original Alien and the new mythology introduced in Prometheus. However, it couldn’t recapture the raw, primal fear that defined the earlier films. While Scott’s prequels are visually stunning and intellectually ambitious, they often feel more like meditations on existence than the pulse-pounding horror that fans expect from an Alien film.

Enter Fede Alvarez: A New Hope?

With Alien: Romulus, there’s a new director at the helm: Fede Alvarez. This is a promising development if you’re familiar with Alvarez’s work. Alvarez made a name for himself with his 2013 remake of Evil Dead, a film that took the raw, chaotic energy of Sam Raimi’s original and turned it up to eleven. His Evil Dead is a relentless, blood-soaked nightmare that doesn’t pull any punches—a testament to Alvarez’s ability to craft horror that gets under your skin and stays there.

Alvarez followed up Evil Dead with Don’t Breathe (2016), a genuinely upsetting thriller that plays on the tension of vulnerability and power. The film’s claustrophobic setting and the terrifying presence of its antagonist made it one of the most unsettling horror films of the decade. Alvarez’s talent lies in his ability to create an atmosphere of dread and to push his audience to the edge of their seats, which makes him an intriguing choice to direct an Alien film.

For a franchise that has struggled to return to its horror roots, Alvarez could be the breath of fresh air it desperately needs. His track record suggests that he understands what makes horror work at its most fundamental level—tension, atmosphere, and a willingness to push boundaries.

The Disney Factor: A New Era for Alien

When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, there was widespread concern about what would happen to Fox’s more adult-oriented properties, including the Alien franchise. After all, Disney is known for its family-friendly content, not R-rated horror films filled with blood, guts, and chestbursters. To many, the idea of the Alien series under the House of Mouse felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

However, Disney is willing to embrace more mature content through its subsidiary labels like 20th Century Studios. Films like Deadpool and Logan demonstrated that Disney can handle R-rated material without compromising on the intensity or thematic depth that fans expect. The success of these films offers a glimmer of hope that Alien: Romulus will be able to retain the dark, terrifying atmosphere that made the franchise famous.

What Do We Want: Horror, Plain and Simple

So, what do we want from Alien: Romulus? In a word: horror. The Alien franchise is at its best when it strips away the excess and focuses on the simple, terrifying concept of survival against an unstoppable, unknowable force. The original Alien worked because it was a haunted house in space, with a startling and mysterious monster.

What we, the fans, truly desire from Alien: Romulus is a return to the franchise's horror roots. We long for the tension, the claustrophobia, and the fear of the unknown that made the original Alien a classic. With Fede Alvarez at the helm, there's a sense of hope that this new installment could deliver on these fronts. Alvarez’s talent for creating atmosphere and his willingness to push the envelope make him the right director to bring Alien back to its horror roots.

At the same time, it’s important not to lose sight of what made the Alien series more than just a creature feature. The franchise has always had a thematic richness, dealing with corporate greed, artificial intelligence ethics, and humanity's nature. These elements shouldn’t be discarded, but they should enhance the horror, not overshadow it.

The Future of Alien

As we look forward to Alien: Romulus, there’s a sense of cautious optimism. Fede Alvarez’s involvement suggests that this could be the Alien film fans have been waiting for—a return to the straightforward, terrifying formula that made the original a classic. But there’s also the question of how Disney will handle the franchise going forward. Will the Mouse House allow Alien to be the dark, R-rated horror series it needs to be, or will it be softened to appeal to a broader audience?

Whatever the case, Alien: Romulus has the potential to set the tone for the franchise's future. With the right balance of horror, atmosphere, and thematic depth, the film could bring Alien back to its rightful place as the king of sci-fi horror. And with Alvarez at the helm, we might just be in for the most terrifying ride yet.