Alien: Romulus Director Confirms Sneaky Predator Reference

Alien: Romulus has entered its second weekend in theaters, and the new horror/sci-fi from director Fede Álvarez is having a successful run at the box office so far. The movie is also up on Rotten Tomatoes with an 80% critics score and 86% audience score, making it the best-reviewed Alien movie in nearly 40 years. Álvarez has recently teased some hidden Alien easter eggs in the movie, but you’ll also find a nod to Predator. Of course, the Alien and Predator films are connected with Alien vs. Predator being released in 2004 and AVPR: Aliens vs Predator – Requiem in 2007. 

“@fedalvar was the temperature numbers going up on the facehugger containments a nod to this in the predator?Really got the feeling it was,” @bYohnk asked Álvarez on Twitter. “I’m a TAP guy, so everything I do is influenced by Terminator / Alien / Predator,” Álvarez replied. You can view the interaction below: 

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Will Alien vs. Predator 3 Happen?

Now that the Predator franchise is thriving again in addition to the success of Alien: Romulus, a third crossover installment feels more possible than ever. Álvarez recently addressed the idea when speaking to Deadline. 

“Maybe it’s something I have to co-direct with my buddy Dan,” Álvarez suggested, referring to Prey director, Dan Trachtenberg. “Maybe we should do like Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did with Dusk Till Dawn. I’ll direct a half, and he’ll direct another half.” 

It’s worth noting that From Dusk Till Dawn was written by Tarantino and directed by Rodriguez. Tarantino also co-starred in the film, but they did not share directing duties. It’s possible Álvarez was referring to Grindhouse, which featured a double bill of Rodriguez’s film Planet Terror with Tarantino’s Death Proof. In 2005, Tarantino also guest-directed a scene in Rodriguez’s film, Sin City. 

What Is Alien: Romulus About?

Alien: Romulus is being billed as more of a spinoff rather than a direct continuation of the Alien franchise and will see a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. Álvarez has previously opened up about how a deleted scene from James Cameron’s Aliens featuring young colonists inspired Romulus’ story.

“My first instinct, just to try something different that hasn’t been seen before, was to approach it form the angle of characters who are not professionals or scientists; they’re not even adults,” he said. “I liked this concept of putting people in the front seat of the story who are closer to what the audience is — not that the audience is young, more that the audience is completely virgin to the realities of space. When the characters are professionals, they know more than you do. But when they’re still in their early 20s, they don’t know how to operate the f-cking airlock.”

He continued, “All their parents probably worked on the same ship when they were kids, and that’s how they got to know each other … There’s a lot of history between them because they’re the only family they have. They truly act more like surrogate siblings; some of them even lived under the same roof. A lot of the big themes of the movie are about siblinghood and what does that mean? The Romulus of it all, and the bigger plot with Weyland-Yutani, is actually connected to that as well.”

Alien: Romulus stars Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us), Spike Fearn (Aftersun), Aileen Wu. Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (Don’t Breathe 2) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. 

Alien: Romulus is now playing in theaters.