2 Years Ago, A Sci-Fi Movie Monster Went Back to Basics & Revived A Failing Horror Franchise
The sci-fi genre is populated with some of the most fantastical (at times horrible) creations from the human imagination, and many of them have become permanent parts of the pop culture zeitgeist. However, there is definitely a hierarchy for which characters are the most popular; those rankings often change as new monsters get introduced, or old franchises get a new lease on life through a successful reboot or remake.
Case in point: It’s been two years since one of the most iconic sci-fi monsters of all time was reintroduced to a whole new generation of moviegoers. Not only was the reboot a hit, but it revitalized an entire franchise in a way that extends well beyond the big screen.
Alien Is 2 Years Into A Major Comeback
The sci-fi creature who made the comeback is the xenomorph, the nightmarishly “perfect” cosmic predator, which has stalked various unlucky souls of the Alien and Alien vs. Predator film franchises. On August 16, 2024, Alien: Romulus was released in theaters. The film was both an interquel, set between the events of Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens, and a reboot that opens up a new chapter of the Alien universe, while also drawing on nearly all the lore the film franchise has established.
That was no small feat from director Fede Álvarez, who managed to get equal acclaim from both critics and audiences (a very rare feat in this day and age…). Romulus became the second-highest-grossing film in the Alien franchise (behind the prequel film, Prometheus), generating $350.9 million against a budget of $80 million. More impressively, Romulus was the first Alien film to grab the attention of a key new viewer demographic (Gen Z), who had never seen a proper Alien film focused on a traditional xenomorph storyline, in theaters. The last time a film like that had come along was Alien: Resurrection in 1997; after that, the franchise dovetailed into the AVP crossover films, followed by Ridley Scott re-taking the reins for two ‘Alien-adjacent’ quasi-prequels, Prometheus (2014) and Alien: Covenant (2016).
By then, the lore was so convoluted that there was no real good foothold for newcomer fans to grab onto. With its clear thematic ode to Gen Z angst, combined with Álvarez’s intricate knowledge and recreation of classic Alien tropes and aesthetics, Alien: Romulus was a treat for both longtime fans and those getting the pulse-pounding sci-fi-horror experience for the first time. And it ended up doing so much more than deliver a good time at the movies…
Alien: Romulus Introduced Major New Stars & Revitalized An Entire Franchise Universe
The lead cast of Alien: Romulus includes Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Isabela Merced, and all three have seen their careers break wide open in the two years since getting big breakouts in Romulus. (It’s no coincidence that those three also had the most iconic moments in the film.)
David Jonsson just made worldwide headlines as Marvel’s next Black Panther, starring in the 2028 threequel Black Panther III from Oscar-winning director Ryan Coogler. Merced has taken on starring roles in HBO’s video game adaptation The Last of Us, while also taking on a DC Universe franchise role as Hawkgirl. Spaeny starred in the second season of Netflix’s Emmy-winning series Beef, Alex Garland’s haunting socio-political thriller Civil War, and Rian Johnson’s Knives Out threequel Wake Up Dead Man. She’s on such a run that she also has a role in the upcoming Elden Ring film, with rumors she could also join Marvel in the X-Men franchise. A sequel to Alien: Romulus is also in the works, with both Spaeny and Jonsson expected to return. Combined with the continued work of the co-stars (like Archie Renaux and Spike Fearn), it’s fair to say that Alien: Romulus has honored the horror genre tradition of helping launch a whole new generation of stars.
The reboot also actually lived up to that term, unlike so many other attempts. The success of Alien: Romulus paved the way for the Alien franchise’s expansion. A year after the film’s release, the franchise’s first TV series, Alien: Earth, premiered on FX-Hulu. Despite being a major departure from the Alien canon, showrunner Noah Hawley’s (Fargo, Legion) managed to impress with his deep-dive into alien monsters, robotic lifeforms, and the dystopian existence of an entire civilization indentured for life to a few mega-corporations. Now, Alien: Earth Season 2 is in production, with Game of Thrones stars Peter Dinklage and Jerome Flynn joining the cast and TV icon Tracey Ullman also making an appearance. The Alien: Romulus sequel is still in pre-production.
