James Cameron and Ridley Scott Praise New Alien Movie, Disagree on Direction

Back to basics

We cannot say that Alien Covenant was the most popular episode of the legendary saga, although it was nevertheless directed by Ridley Scott himself (the originator of the very first film, as we recall). And if you weren't a fan of Prometheus either, still signed by the same author, alor maybe Alien Romulus is the opus you need: for once, it will be directed by Fede Alvarez, who already has a solid background in horror cinema with Don't Breath or Evil Dead .

The first trailer for the film (see above) was released a few days ago, suggesting a particularly oppressive and terrifying atmosphere. For now, the story will be completely new : located between the first and second films, we will follow the confrontation of young adults with the xenomorph within a spaceship.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Alvarez spoke about his vision of things and the place his project holds in the Alien universe:

I remember watching a long sequence of Aliens and there's a scene where you see a group of kids running through the halls of this colony. And I thought, “Wow, what would it be like for these kids to grow up in a colony that still needs 50 years to terraform? There is no sun and there is no real life except to simply take your parents' place and do the same work as them. (…)

I remember thinking, “If I ever tell a story in this universe, I would definitely be interested in these kids when they get to their early 20s, what they want to do and where they want to go.” »And when it comes to them meeting the creature, the dynamic is completely different. Maybe that's why we managed to make this film.

Also, Alvarez wanted to add his personal touch while respecting the original materials. A visibly successful bet:

When Ridley Scott read the script, he felt that it was completely different from other films. It had all the DNA of the originals and a lot of the other films, but it felt really different and fresh, also because the characters of that age approach problems in a completely different way than adults and professional soldiers. So it's just a completely different visual experience.

When dads approve

Having an important place in the cinematographic landscape (just a little) in addition to having laid the pillars of the Alien saga, Ridley Scott and James Cameron have already been able to see Alien Romulus. And they liked it a lot, or even more: “Fede, what more can I say? It’s really great”, Scott told the Uruguayan director. Same for Cameron: “James Cameron is also someone I've met over the years, and when he found out I was doing the movie, we started talking about it. He's now seen the movie and he loved it.”

More intriguing: if the two filmmakers have therefore validated Alien Romulus, they apparently have very different comments and feelings about the final result:

It's also fascinating because Cameron and Scott's notes and comments are completely different. (laughs) There was not a duplicate remark. Whatever Ridley said, Cameron said something different. These were all very intelligent comments and notes and thoughts on the film and the directing etc., but the two have completely different approaches. What's fantastic about being able to make this film is having the chance to work with them.

This could arouse the curiosity of more than one fan and, moreover, the community will be delighted to learn that connections with other feature films will be made discreetly.

If you haven't seen any Aliens, I'm jealous because you will have an incredible experience. You will have all these Alien worlds at your disposal and you have never experienced any of this: you don't know how the creature was born and you don't know anything about everything that surrounds it. It's fantastic. You will have fun.

On the other hand, if you've seen the other films, then it's a completely different experience. You will see, you will find these links with the other films. And if you're a fan, you'll be that person who annoys your friends at the cinema by whispering in their ears that you know where that comes from, where that gun comes from and what the characters are talking about.

Alien Romulus will be released in theaters on August 14, 2024.

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