Another Predator movie is finally on the way and the trailer has dropped a few hints that suggest we could be seeing some crossover with the Alien franchise once again. 241618

Predator: Badlands is set to take the series in an entirely new direction. It will be the seventh movie in the main franchise (a sixth, animated movie is set to release later this year) although it’s the ninth if you count the two Alien vs Predator movies.

And perhaps we should be counting the AVP films considering this latest entry in the Predator series could potentially be making those two movies canon.

Is Predator: Badlands a secret Alien sequel? 27473d

Fans have noticed a few details in the new trailer which dropped yesterday afternoon. The main talking point was the sneaky references to the Weyland-Yutani corporation. The dystopian corporation is the main antagonist of the Alien series, I mean, I guess the Xenomorph is technically the main antagonist, but come on, we all know these guys are the real baddies.

Anyways, the Weyland-Yutani logo was spotted a couple of times throughout the trailer. The “W” symbol can be seen on the shoulder of Elle Fanning’s character as well as in her eyes at one point. This indicates that she may be an android, something which has been a staple of the Alien series since the very first movie. The “W” in the eyes was also seen in Andy the android from Alien: Romulus.

This indicates a clear connection between the two franchises. If the Weyland-Yutani corporation now exists within the Predator universe then it follows that the Xenomorph also likely exists too.

Of course, we’ve seen these two titans clash on the big screen before. Alien vs Predator and its sequel weren’t exactly popular with critics or audiences but there’s sort of a cult following for those films. The concept has a lot of potential and now that Disney own the rights to both franchises it’s definitely possible the company would try and revive AVP.

What will Predator: Badlands be about? 2k6x3w

Aside from Fanning’s Weyland android character there isn’t a whole lot to go off when it comes to the film’s relation to Alien. We know the film will focus on a young predator who was cast out of his clan. In a surprise twist it turns out the predator will be the protagonist this time and will team up with Fanning’s character.

It’s unclear how this Alien/Predator connection will work in the greater lore of both IPs. While the original AVP films did give viewers some in depth backstory on the origin of the xenomorph, subsequent Alien films have completely re-written it. Will this film work with the old AVP lore, or the lore from films like Prometheus and Alien: Covenant? Or perhaps it will give fans something entirely new and original. Who knows? Maybe it will be a musical.

Movie musicals are having quite the moment, from Wicked to Sing Sing and *that* other one drenched in controversy, but perhaps the last film worthy of the musical treatment is Ridley Scott’s terrifying 1979 sci-fi classic Alien. 

Well, at least not if you’re Bong Joon-ho. The Oscar-winning Parasite director recently expressed interest in helming a version of the Alien franchise that, if he had it his way, would be riddled with singing and jazz-handsing Xenomorphs. To be clear, I like musicals as much as the next guy — and while I’m confident Alien star Sigourney Weaver could hold a tune with the rest of ‘em — I fear an Alien musical would be more outlandish than Emilia Pérez… which is saying a lot. 

Bong Joon-ho says he is “not drawn to franchise films, but I did think at one point that I would like to do an ‘ALIEN’ film… An ‘ALIEN’ musical.”

(https://t.co/MbRCiGS5fg) pic.twitter.com/KbEu22roSQ

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 5, 2025

It helps that Joon-ho seemed to have made the suggestion in jest, during a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times. The director — whose Parasite follow-up, Mickey 17, hit cinemas this week — spoke of an Alien musical regarding his thoughts on movie franchises, which aren’t his cup of tea. “I’m not drawn to franchise films,” Joon-ho said, sending shivers down the Russo brothers’ spines, “but I did think at one point that I would like to do an Alien film.” Not just any Alien film, Joon-ho said, but “an Alien musical.”

Interestingly, the director’s ission came just days after he revealed that while he’s a fan of musicals, he’s not so much a fan of, you know, the musical-ness of it all. “I have a lot of respect for musicals,” the filmmaker said on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, particularly shouting out Jesus Christ Superstar and All That Jazz. “But I could never make a musical, I can’t stand the minute they start to sing,” he added. When those who start singing are a bunch of biomechanical aliens, I’m sure the entire enterprise would start to feel a little ridiculous for Joon-ho, who should never besmirch musicals in front of Wicked fans. 

Whatever Joon-ho lacks on the musical front for this hypothetical Alien film, he more than makes up for on the sci-fi front. Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as a character who is sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world of Niflheim, with body cloning and memory wiping naturally ensuing. Some early reviews have even compared the sci-fi film to Alien, particularly its evil space corporation to the face-hugging extraterrestrials. For those curious, Mickey 17 is not a musical, no matter how amazing it would be to watch Edward Cullen bust out into show tunes on some faraway planet.

We also know that work is already underway on Joon-ho’s follow-up to Mickey 17, an as-yet untitled horror animation that he first began developing in 2019. The director has referred to the movie as his “life project,” and described it as “a really unique story about deep sea creatures.” He even went as far as sharing a release window, saying this mysterious (non-musical) animation could arrive sometime in 2027. At that point, we’ll all probably be on board spaceships to foreign ice kingdoms, but rest assured that if Joon-ho is piloting, there’ll be no space held for the lyrics to “Defying Gravity”.

We’ve heard it all before, and will probably continue to hear it until society collapses; if you so much as think about telling stories based on a pre-existing IP or building upon popular stories of the past, you have basically itted to the world that you despise the concept of creativity, and that you specifically are eager to see the world of cinema polluted beyond redemption.

Except, you haven’t, and you especially haven’t if your name is Fede Álvarez, director and co-writer of beefy summer blockbuster Alien: Romulus. Álvarez, you see, harbors a well-kept secret about filmmaking — it’s okay to make franchise films, legacy sequels, and even franchise legacy sequels so long as they don’t suck. And now, the denizens of Disney Plus can take full advantage of that lack of suck.

Per FlixPatrol, Alien: Romulus has found itself swimming in ninth place on the Disney Plus worldwide film charts, squaring up against the likes of fellow summertime theatrical juggernaut Deadpool & Wolverine in third place, Top 10 favorite Moana in first place, and quintessential Disney classic The Lion King in eighth place, the latter two of which likely have Moana 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King to thank for their success.

Alien: Romulus stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson as Rain and Andy, a human and an android who share a sibling bond and live out their days on the Jackson Star mining colony in the year 2142. They’re recruited by a ragtag group of young adults to them on an expedition to an abandoned Weyland-Yutani station, where they hope to use the base’s resources to explore the galaxy and find a new home. The only problem? A pack of hyperviolent aliens have been living on this base for some time now, and they’re not especially keen on visitors.

Alien: Romulus‘ technical competence, just on its own, makes for one of the better watches in the Alien pantheon, and Jonsson’s mind-bogglingly elite performance as Andy is the asset of every director’s dreams. And while some may be quick to turn their noses down at the number of references to past Alien media, it’s easy to forgive Romulus precisely because it doesn’t try to play this nostalgic tic as a substitute for a good story.

The film’s narrative is thematic in nature, using its band of luckless youth to unfurl such ideas as freedom, responsibility, and the ever-crucial task of balancing these things with comion. Character deaths are largely correlated with traits and decisions that indicate an inability to be truly free, which is the literal goal of the group, while the film’s protagonists are defined by their ability to take control and enable their allies. The aforementioned Andy plays host to an especially remarkable arc in this vein, and it’s his capacity for love that ends up being the driving force of Romulus‘ emotional and cerebral core.

Indeed, it’s not quite up there with Ridley Scott’s legendary tension masterclass and James Cameron’s mythological actioner, but Romulus is nevertheless a decidedly mighty pillar of the Alien franchise, and one can only hope that Alien: Earth, Noah Hawley’s FX series due sometime in 2025, can follow it up the way it deserves.

Details surrounding the highly secretive Alien: Earth television show proved scarce for the longest time. However, as more information becomes freely available, the only further question about this series should be: Who asked for this convoluted mess?

Xenomorph fans feared the worst after Alien: Covenant. The 2017 film underperformed at the box office, forcing everyone to question if this beloved franchise had finally run out of steam. Mechanisms moved behind the scenes, though, and a requel arrived in the form of Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, setting the adventure between the events of Alien and Aliens. Suddenly, the franchise appeared to be back on track as this film ventured back to the isolation-fueled horror roots of Ridley Scott’s 1979 movie.

That’s not all that fans have to look forward to, since FX on Hulu is set to release Alien: Earth in 2025. Helmed by showrunner Noah Hawley, who blew everyone’s minds with the brilliance of Fargo and Legion, it has all the hallmarks of becoming must-watch television. Although, there was a slight concern about the Earth part of the title. The appeal of the Alien series is that it takes place in outer space – where no one can hear you scream, as the tagline boasts – and it should stay that way.

Turns out those fears were merited. It’s now confirmed that Alien: Earth takes place after a spacecraft crashes on Earth and, of course, people investigate this alien vessel only to unleash terror on humanity. Seriously, 2024, have we not suffered enough without adding the Xenomorph to our planet?

That isn’t the capper, though. Alien: Earth takes place 30 years before the events of Alien. That’s right, folks – there’s yet another Alien timeline to keep track of in this franchise that hops around time like a child bouncing up and down through a water sprinkler. 

Fans appear to be just as confused by this revelation, letting their frustrations be known on X. As one commentator wrote: “I no longer understand the timeline for the Xenomorph.” Some attempted to reason with the and figure out where it all fits in, but others agreed and said the timeline is basically optional at the moment.

Prepare for further perplexity as 20th Century Studios’ Steve Asbell confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that an Alien: Romulus sequel is in motion. Then, there’s Scott who also told The Hollywood Reporter that a Covenant sequel makes more sense, saying: “Covenant is the best one [for a sequel] because it leaves the girl in the [cryo pod] and [Michael Fassbender’s killer android] David has alien eggs and 2,000 colonists hanging around. It’s a perfect beginning.”

Needless to say, it’s a lot to digest. It’s also yet another reminder of how not to handle a franchise. Look at Marvel and DC’s attempts to explore the multiverse and moonwalk across the timeline. At this point, no one knows where in the world anything fits in and what’s linear in canon or not. It’s confusion personified.

Not everyone has the time to trawl Wikipedia or Fandom pages to piece together a cohesive timeline of the mess that the decision-makers created. Alien: Earth throws another unnecessary curveball into the mix and right now this darn Xenomorph seems to have a DeLorean or something, because how in the world is it getting around everywhere?

Alien is one of the most iconic movie franchises ever made, especially in the spooky space, and in 2024 we were given one of the best entries in the series to date, Alien: Romulus.

Releasing on Aug. 15, 2024, Romulus became the seventh entry into the mainline Alien series, and the ninth overall if you’re counting the pair of Alien VS Predator movies that dropped during the early 2000s. However, something made Romulus different and that was the fact it actually lived up to the original.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the franchise, or someone just looking for something new you’ll soon have the ability to enjoy Alien: Romulus from home as the film has now locked in a streaming release date.

Alien: Romulus will be released on streaming this Nov. 21. That’s right, in just two weeks you’ll have the chance to enjoy this incredible movie right from the comfort of your couch. It’s totally perfect for those who missed out when it was showing in cinemas.

The movie will be available to watch exclusively on Hulu when it arrives, but you can also purchase the film or rent it from the usual digital storefronts. In fact, the movie has been available to rent since October, and following its streaming debut those who want to own a copy can secure both DVD and Blu-Ray starting Dec. 3.

Despite its R rating, Alien: Romulus performed exceptionally well during its theatrical run. It topped the box office on release and earned $41.5 million which was the second largest take for any movie in the series.

We get it, box office figures are boring, but if you’re after a reason to check out the movie all you have to do is check out the reviews. Right now Alien: Romulus is sitting pretty with an incredible 80 percent certified fresh critic score partnered with its 85 percent audience score. That means not only did critics love the movie, but fans enjoyed it even more.

Alien: Romulus is a neat two hours which is long for a horror film but short for a movie in 2024. In these two hours, you’ll be seeing incredible visuals that take this unsettling mood of being stalked by a space alien and kick it into overdrive. It’s really one of the best films that was released this year and a must-watch for anybody who loves a horror flick.

If you’re a newcomer to the Alien franchise then congratulations! You’re in for a treat. But more importantly, you can binge through every film in the series so far on Hulu with Romulus ing later in the months. For those who are fans internationally, you’ll need to turn to Disney Plus to get your Alien fix.

Let’s get one thing straight: no artist is infallible, especially those fortunate enough to make eye-popping amounts of cash from their work. And yet, the news that storied filmmaker Ridley Scott — who gave us Gladiator, Blade Runner, and The Martian — is returning to his most prominent roots in the form of another Alien film, is a development you’d expect universal cheers for.

As it turns out, though, not everyone is too jazzed that the guy who made the original Alien is involved in another Alien film.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the 86-year-old stated that he was developing a new entry in the historic sci-fi franchise following the box office success of Alien: Romulus, which he also produced. This is important to note, as Scott’s involvement with the in-development entry could only be referring to another production credit, rather than any directorial involvement.

There were, of course, those who welcomed the news of Scott’s involvement as loudly and proudly as one could muster. Such proponents were chiefly trying to manifest another entry in the Prometheus storyline, each of which Scott has had a directorial hand in, so far.

Others went a step further, pointing a tired finger at the Hollywood machine for daring to operate yet another franchise.

Here’s the thing, though; it is perfectly okay to make franchise films so long as those films are good, and Alien: Romulus has proven that this is one franchise in a solid trajectory (due in no small part, may I add, to Scott himself, who gave pointers to writer-director Fede Álvarez that, in Álvarez’s paraphrased words, were beneficial to the film).

This is to say that any Alien production that has involved Scott in the past has hardly disappointed before. Even Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, for all their faults, offered significant philosophical thrust to the stories. Romulus in particular, took the franchise several steps forward precisely by modernizing the strengths that made Scott’s original film so mighty.

Specifically, Romulus was more contained, and subsequently more frightening (hearkening back to the horror-tinged tension inherent to Alien) than its action-centric predecessors. Cailee Spaeny was an excellent spearhead for a richly talented cast, and the star-making turn from David Jonsson — whose character, Andy, is both written and played brilliantly, communicating both the devastating discomfort and prevailing humanity in the search for freedom — make a new Alien film a welcome development, especially with Scott in the ring.

For now, though, enthusiastic eyes are fixed on the end of November, when Scott’s latest epic Gladiator II will be hitting the big screen across North America. Whispers arise that the film’s opening scene will feature one of, if not the biggest action set piece of Scott’s entire career; a possibility that pairs nicely with the immensely positive early reactions to the film. Whatever the case, we’ll see for ourselves when Gladiator II squares up against Wicked on Nov. 22.

The following article contains spoilers for Alien: Romulus.

Legacy sequels have been quite the rage in recent years. Alien: Romulus isn’t even the first sequel Fede Álvarez has directed.

The filmmaker has had his hand in many beloved franchises such as The Evil Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Unlike new legacy films like Halloween that erase decades of history, Romulus is a love letter to the entire franchise. As far as this sequel is concerned, all Alien movies are worthwhile. And while not everyone can appreciate the wild swings that Romulus takes in its third act, it honors most of the previous films, with many callbacks. Let’s break them down.

The final fight from Alien 1z455p

You know what they say. It isn’t an Alien movie if the final girl isn’t struggling to rush into a space suit before blasting a Xenomorph into space. That is the climax of Alien as well as Alien: Romulus. Just as Rain (Cailee Spaeny) thinks she’s safe, she is surprised by one final boss fight. Rain dons the classic suit and kills this new creature in the only proven way that works — dropping it into space. She finishes off the film just as Sigourney Weaver once did with a voice-over wrapping up the events of the film.

The return of Ian Holm 63392k

One of the big surprises of Alien: Romulus was seeing the eerie computerized likeness of Ian Holm. While the effects didn’t entirely pull it off, it was a rush of nostalgia to see the return of the familiar Android. As opposed to his role as Ash in Alien, Holm’s appearance takes on the character of another Android of the same class named Rook, intent on getting the Xenomorph solution back to the mining colony by any means necessary.

The pulse rifle 224r2k

When facing off against an unkillable monster, there isn’t a lot of time for romance. Instead, viewers get a tension-filled moment with one character teaching another how to use a gun. In Aliens, Hicks (Michael Biehn) teaches Ripley how to use a pulse rifle while in Romulus, the same sexually charged moment occurs between Tyler (Archie Renaux) and Rain.

“Get away from her” 6am1n

Aliens contains one of the most famous lines of the franchise as Ripley suits up to save Newt (Carrie Henn). As she approaches the Xenomorph, she warns “Get away from her, you bitch,” echoed by Andy (David Jonsson) in Romulus as he heroically saves Rain.

In close quarters with a Xenomorph in Alien 3 e5s5e

While not the most beloved of the franchise, Alien 3 does have one of the most recognizable images in the franchise. Trapped in a room with a Xenomorph, the creature slobbers near Ripley’s head. The same close-quarters confinement occurs in Romulus when Rain is trapped in an elevator shaft with the snarling beast.

The black goo in Prometheus r203k

The criminally underrated prequel, Prometheus, shows the beginnings of the Xenomorph. Weyland (Guy Pearce) wants to achieve immortality and dispatches David (Michael Fassbender) to find a way. The crew of the Prometheus finds a biological weapon of black goo. Though it wasn’t ready in Prometheus, it comes back in Romulus to further the plot. Weyland-Yutani is still trying to find a way to synthesize the goo to improve human life.

The alien hybrid in Alien: Resurrection 273610

In Alien: Resurrection, scientists make a grotesque human/Xenomorph hybrid that creates an even more horrifying monster. An echo of this occurs in Romulus when Kay (Isabela Merced), a pregnant crew member, injects herself with the black goo from Romulus. Hoping it will spare her child from the mortal wounds she has endured, it instead changes the life inside her and creates an unsettling hybrid.

Smaller easter eggs 3w2h10

Look close enough in Romulus and you can spot emergency telephone booths that act as registration points in the 2014 survival video game, Alien: Isolation.

The film also connects back to Alien: Covenant in an unexpected way; when the crew sets foot on the Romulus space station, Wagner’s “Entry of the Gods Into Valhalla” can be heard, which David plays for Weyland in the prequel film.

The Alien franchise is one of the most terrifying movie series ever. Beginning with Alien in 1979, its longevity is highly impressive, as Alien: Romulus hit theaters 45 years later, in Aug. 2024.

The franchise’s iconic Xenomorph is a huge factor in that longevity. The endoparasitoid species is instantly recognizable by its skeletal and biomechanical appearance, dark coloring, and inner set of jaws, and its instinctive murderous nature and acid blood make it even more terrifying.

Xenomorphs have appeared in seven Alien movies and two Alien vs. Predator crossover movies, several short films, a web series, video games, comic books, novels, toylines, and merchandise, and they will appear in the television series Alien: Earth. Suffice it to say, they’re a staple part of the modern pop culture zeitgeist.

But who created the legendary movie monster, and how did he conceive it? Let’s learn more about H.R. Giger.

Who was H.R. Giger? 1zj3l

Born Feb. 5, 1940, in Chur, Graubünden, Hans Ruedi Giger was a Swiss artist. He died on May 12, 2014, in a Zurich hospital at the age of 74. As per the Guardian, press in his native Switzerland said he died from injuries sustained in a fall on some stairs.

Giger was known for his airbrushed images that blended human forms with machines. This art style is known as “biomechanical” and is visible in the design of Xenomorphs, particularly the bipedal specimens that used humans as their host species.

After screenwriters Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett drafted the initial script for Alien, they found they needed a convincing way for their eponymous creature to get onto the ship. Shusett was inspired by a dream, which he explained in the documentary Alien Evolution; “I have an idea: the monster screws one of them.”

When Giger was brought on board and showed O’Bannon his nightmarish artwork, the screenwriter was impressed and disturbed: “I had never seen anything that was quite as horrible and at the same time as beautiful as his work.”

When Alien director Ridley Scott chose Necronom IV, a painting Giger completed in 1976, as the basis for the Xenomorph’s design, he did so because of its beauty and strong sexual overtones.

The artist took influence from his work and conceived the Xenomorph as vaguely human, neither male nor female, but in full armor, protected from most things actual humans could throw at it. He gave it no eyes, so you couldn’t tell if the creature was looking at you, and heavily utilized his love of biomechanical art in its aesthetic — a fact epitomized by the fact that its body included everything from Rolls-Royce parts to the snake vertebrae.

His methodology worked. The Xenomorph is as horrifying (and mesmerizing) to look at today as it was 45 years ago — and it’s contributed to Giger being “one of the most important Swiss artists of the second half of the 20th century,” according to Tobia Bezzola, curator of Zurich’s fine arts museum.

May H.R. Giger rest in peace.

The weather is hot, but a movie theater is cold… and you can buy any snacks you want. Those are often enough reasons to head to the movies on a summer evening or weekend afternoon, but horror/sci-fi fans also know they can’t miss out on the memorable experience of seeing Alien: Romulus on the big screen. There’s just one question: why is it rated R?

Alien: Romulus is the ninth movie in the popular franchise, which began in 1979 with Alien, and instead of being a sequel or prequel, it’s an “interquel” (which is a great name). Since this is exactly the kind of fun and exciting summer entertainment that everyone wants, let’s look at the reason behind the movie’s R rating.

Why does Alien: Romulus have an R rating? b6k1p

Alien: Romulus has an R rating because of “bloody violent content and language,” according to People. The characters swear, and the film also has intense body horror scenes and monster attacks. This seems to have paid off. Variety reported that critics were impressed with the gore and special effects of Alien: Romulus.

As the Motion Picture Association website explains, R-rated movies have “some adult material” and if someone is younger than 17 years old, they need an “adult guardian” or parent to come with them to the theater.

While its R rating means that some won’t be able to see Alien: Romulus in theaters, the debate about what a horror movie should be rated rages on. Although there are plenty of awesome horror films rated PG-13, some fans won’t be satisfied unless they see a truly gory story. This is particularly true of fans of the slasher and body horror subgenres. If someone likes a creepy supernatural or slow-burn tale, they might not mind the lack of blood (and the lower rating). But, overall, Alien fans are used to seeing some wild creature attacks and would expect nothing less than an R rating.

As People pointed out, all the other movies in the Alien franchise have R ratings as well, except for Alien vs. Predator, which was rated PG-13. So, now that it’s clear that Alien: Romulus is scary and bloody, it’s time to head to the movie theater.

In 1979, the cult classic Alien kicked off a fan-favorite sci-fi franchise centered on the Xenomorph creatures and the badass action hero Ripley, played by the always wonderful Sigourney Weaver. Since then, there have been a few great sequels and a handful of mediocre ones.

The most recent movie to come out of the franchise, 2024’s Alien: Romulus, promises to usher in a new era for the franchise, which has been faltering since the 1990s. That means this is a great time to rewatch the whole series, taking in what makes each of these movies so beloved by fans. We just did that, which is why we’ve ranked every Alien movie, excluding spin-offs, from worst to best. 

7. Alien 3 n3435

Alien 3 is inarguably the worst movie in the Alien franchise for two simple reasons. First, the film killed off Newt and Hicks who are, besides Bishop and Ripley, the best characters in the entire franchise. They were both killed offscreen, at the beginning of the film, and for no important reason.

The film is not the worst film in the world though, as it still boasts some harrowing scenes while furthering some of the franchise’s themes around motherhood. Ellen Ripley crash lands on a planet that is also a prison, and she inadvertently brings one of the iconic face-huggers with her. The film ends with her making the ultimate sacrifice, which makes for a pretty dramatic conclusion if this were only a trilogy. 

6. Alien Resurrection 3hnt

Alien Resurrection takes place 200 years after Alien 3, with a clone of Ellen Ripley, who met her end in the previous film. This installment and Alien 3 are, in truth, about equal in of their cinematic quality. The only reason Alien Resurrection edged out Alien 3 is that this movie didn’t kill any great characters. 

The movie contains some (perhaps unintentionally) fun moments, such as Ripley’s clone making an excellent basketball shot. Winona Ryder plays a synthetic, and never appears again in the franchise. The film is forgettable, which is kind of unfortunate because one could do a lot with a clone storyline.

5. Alien: Covenant 50123u

Alien: Covenant had a big task ahead of it. Be better than Prometheus, the film that revived the franchise, and be better than Alien: Resurrection, which ended the series’ original run on somewhat of a sour note. One out of two ain’t bad, I guess. The film served as a prequel to the original Alien and a sequel to Prometheus. The downfall of Alien: Covenant came from both the fact that it wasn’t a great film and also that it tried to explain the backstory of the Xenomorph’s evolution. The Xenomorphs were interesting creatures, aliens, which stop at nothing to take over everything in their way. Placing David the android in the evolutionary cycle takes some of the mystique of the alien away as well, adding to the film’s poor quality.

4. Prometheus 274c6x

Prometheus is a good film, albeit not a great Alien film, even though it is packed with lore. The fact that this film strayed away from being an Alien film is a bonus here. We get to see some backstory with the Weyland-Yutani corporation and Peter Weyland’s obsession with immortality. We are introduced to the mysterious aliens dubbed the Engineers, and at the end of the film, we see the first chest-burster. The performances in this film are stellar, and that is why it ranks so highly. Michael Fassbender, who also appeared in Alien: Covenant, is particularly outstanding. Also, this was the first film Ridley Scott returned to direct after Alien. His deft directorial touch helps the film rank higher than its predecessors.

3. Alien: Romulus 5b691x

Alien: Romulus is one of the franchise’s strongest entries, balancing nostalgia with fresh ideas. The film’s first half reintroduces the franchise’s sci-fi world, focusing on blue-collar workers fighting deadly threats due to corporate greed. However, it’s in the second half where Romulus truly shines.

As the movie progresses, director and co-writer Fede Álvarez unleashes his deranged energy, finding new ways to play with the canon. Álvarez’s mastery of practical effects creates visceral confrontations and unnervingly realistic deaths. The only thing dragging Romulus down is how it’s too concerned with homage instead of embracing its new ideas. Still, with a talented cast led by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson and its exploration of AI themes, Alien: Romulus breathes new life into the franchise, promising an exciting future for Alien movies.

2. Alien 153f40

The one that started it all, Ridley Scott’s Alien is a masterpiece. A crew reports to a distress signal on a planet and brings an alien back to their ship. One by one, the alien picks them off. Starring Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton, and Ian Holm, this film is iconic for its great story and great performances. The film is a master of tension, manipulating sound and design in awesome ways to bring the terrifying Xenomorph to life. Out of every film on this list, this is the only one that is a straight science fiction horror film and it is so much better than most of the sequels for that very reason.

1. Aliens 3066q

Alien is a horror film. Aliens is an action film and one of the best ones ever made.

Starring Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn and directed by James Cameron, the film adds two things that the first film did not have: more aliens and the 80s. Muscles, guns, and explosions define the film, but the performances by almost every actor, from Carrie Henn, who played Newt, to Bill Paxton, who played Hudson, are also memorable. It’s game over for any other Alien film that might have wanted to take home the top spot. 

For some background, Romulus will be the first new movie in the classic series since Alien: Covenant released in 2017. As a result, die-hards are firmly interested in knowing which movies to see before taking a glance at the head-twisting new project. Alien: Covenant was a little divisive among fans and casual moviegoers despite taking a different direction than Prometheus, but there’s still a massive fanbase for the franchise, which continues to evolve with every iteration, much like the beloved Xenomorph.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding Fede Álvarez’s vision for Romulus, as the director has sprinkled plenty of details before the big premiere. It’s true that fans can simply binge every single Alien movie beforehand to become familiar enough with the epic universe, but Álvarez has specifically mentioned which previous movies partly influenced Romulus. As such, revisiting certain films could help eager fans understand and appreciate Romulus‘ unique lore and direction.

Which Alien movies should you watch before Romulus? 52a5m

During an interview with GamesRadar last March, the incomparable director mentioned that Romulus would be a standalone movie so total newcomers to the franchise won’t feel lost throughout the story. One could insist that audiences don’t technically need to revisit any of the previous Alien films at all, but becoming knowledgeable of the franchise’s eye-catching movies will only add a more pleasurable and memorable experience for moviegoers. In an interview with Variety, Álvarez specifically cited the first three Alien films as inspiration, and that much proves to be obvious after watching Romulus.

That being said, watching Alien and Aliens is especially significant before diving in and watching Romulus. The OG project will help folks to understand the opening scene in Romulus, while Aliens will assist in understanding the otherworldly colonies.

When does Alien: Romulus take place in the Alien timeline? 54nm

Alien: Romulus takes place 20 years after the original film, setting the story between Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s hit sequel Aliens, which is crucial in following the plot of the latest entry. Romulus undoubtedly serves as connective tissue between those stories, so the original two movies in the series are likely essential viewing, while other movies are arguably optional. Without a doubt, however, those installments are iconic, and frequently inspire new sequels in some way or another. To fully enjoy the magic of the sci-fi universe, Alien: Romulus is officially out in theaters tomorrow.

The latest entry in the unforgettable horror franchise is certainly packed full of punches, spooks, and fear, and die-hard fans are still curious to learn where exactly the plot fits in with the rest of the film series. And, trust us, the excitement has definitely been worth the wait with this chapter.

We’ve already had prequels and sequels that give a decent enough beginning and end, therefore setting an Alien film at either end of the timeline probably wouldn’t work, so that leaves us with the time in between. An interquel is both a sequel and prequel, as the name suggests, it takes place in a period between two movies. But as knowledgable as we feel on the matter, let’s properly dive in and explain where Romulus takes place in the epic Alien universe.

Which two movies does Alien: Romulus take place between? 6s4n

There are a lot of not-so-great Alien films, but thankfully Romulus takes place between two of the best. Speaking with Variety, Álvarez confirmed that the film would be set 20 years after the events of the original film. This would put it about 40 years before the sequel, Aliens. 

Diving further in, the opening scene of Romulus happens on Feb. 9, 2142, and includes the rescue of the Xenomorph and outlines events that occurred in the first movie. From there, the rest of the film’s plot takes place 170 days later, still happening before the sequel.