Alien: Romulus Director Teases Hidden Ripley Easter Egg

Alien: Romulus was released in theaters last weekend, and the latest installment to the beloved franchise had a successful opening weekend. Currently, the movie is up on Rotten Tomatoes with an 81% critics score and 86% audience score, making it the best-reviewed Alien movie in nearly 40 years. Naturally, the movie features plenty of nods to the Alien projects that came before. In fact, there are even some easter eggs you may have missed. Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez recently appeared on the ReelBlend Podcast, and teased a hidden answer to where Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley could be during the events of the film. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible,” Alvarez replied when asked if Ripley could be worked into the Romulus storyline. “Because no one knows exactly what happened in all those years that she’s been drifting away. I cannot say more. I think for legal reasons, I cannot say more. I would say it’s not impossible. I think it’s totally possible that it could’ve been a part of this story somehow.”

“There’s a few things that I’ve hid in that movie that is the answer to this question,” Alvarez added. “It’s just very well hidden. But they’re kind of hiding in plain sight.” He explained that there are “a few clues” he’s “planted in the movie,” but “it kind of defeats the whole purpose” if he reveals what they are now. 

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.