Alien: Isolation, the 2014 survival horror game from Sega and Creative Assembly that follows the daughter of Ellen Ripley as she tries to survive Xenomorphs, Facehuggers, and other deadly enemies aboard the space station Sevastopol, was the biggest inspiration for Alien: Romulus, the new film from 20th Century Studios that many critics appear to be raving about ahead of its release in theaters on August 16. Fede Alvarez, the director behind Alien: Romulus, shared the news during a podcast this week, revealing that the Registration Points that can be found in Isolation—otherwise known as emergency phones—are featured in his movie not only as Easter eggs, but as a warning to viewers that something bad is about to happen, just like in the game.
Alvarez on his inspiration for Romulus:
- “Alien: Isolation was kind of what made me see that Alien could truly be terrifying and done well [today].”
- “I played a few years after it came out. Don’t Breathe was coming out. Or was I waiting for Don’t Breathe to come out, and I was playing the game.”
- “That’s why, at the time, I was like, ‘Fck, if I could do anything, I would love to do Alien and scare the audience again with that creature and those environments.’ I was playing, and realising how terrifying Alien could be if you take it back to that tone.”
- “The movie is set up in a way [that] every time something bad is about to happen, you will see a phone.”
- “In the game, every time you knew there’s a [Emergency Phone] you’d go, ‘Fck, I’m about to go into some bad set-piece.’ It’s the same thing here. You’ll see they’re planted strategically throughout the film. When you see the phone, it’s like: brace for impact.”
Reviewers are saying:
- “Alien: Romulus is the Alien film I have been waiting for. While I don’t think anything will ever reach the pinnacle of the original film, Alien: Romulus is a horror-forward swing for the fences with a third act that is uniquely of unsettling.”
- “We’ve got xenomorphs, we’ve got face-huggers, there’s a chest-burster, corporate malfeasance, capitalistic overreach, acid blood, synthetics up to no good, and all the expected bells and baubles.”
- “[Álvarez] has triumphed with a clever, gripping and sometimes awe-inspiring sci-fi chiller, which takes the series back to its nerve-racking monster-movie roots while injecting it with some new blood – some new acid blood, you might say.”
- “Alien: Romulus masterfully revives the Alien franchise as both a respectful tribute and a thrilling standalone offering. It expertly blends classic horror elements with fresh perspectives, creating a must-see for fans and newcomers alike.”
- “It’s taken a while — 45 years, four sequels and two spin-off films — but finally they’ve got it right. An Alien movie worthy of the mood, originality and template established by Ridley Scott in 1979.”
A final trailer for the movie:
Film synopsis and the talent involved:
The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The film 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 Alvarez (“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 produced by Ridley Scott (“Napoleon”), who directed the original “Alien” and produced and directed the series’ entries “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” Michael Pruss (“Boston Strangler”), and Walter Hill (“Alien”), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (“Charlie’s Angels”), Brent O’Connor (“Bullet Train”), and Tom Moran (“Unstoppable”) serving as executive producers.