The Alien: Romulus Trailer Looks Like The Sequel We've Wanted For A Long, Long Time - SlashFilm (2024)

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ByJeremy Mathai/Updated: June 4, 2024 3:38 pm EST

In space, nobody can hear you scream ... but even from orbit, you can probably hear the collective buzz unleashed by this heart-stopping new footage for the next "Alien"film. The first official trailer for "Alien: Romulus" has finally dropped,and the reactions are pretty much unanimous: Audiences simply can't wait to watch yet another cast of soon-to-be victims attempt to survive some of the most terrifying, chest-bursting, existential horror they've ever had the cosmic misfortune to experience. Neither Sigourney Weaver's beloved Ellen Ripley nor original director Ridley Scott are part of the action this time around, having passed the mantle down to rising star Cailee Spaeny and "Don't Breathe" filmmaker Fede Álvarez, but the new filmsure looks like it's bringing everything else fans have come to expect from the classic sci-fi series. While Scott's divisive prequel efforts "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant" have garnered their fair share of supporters and detractors in recent years, all indications seem to be that "Romulus" might be exactly the return to its roots that this blockbuster franchise needed.

The wait until the film's release later this August just became exponentially more difficult to suffer through, but at least nobody has to do so alone. As if the original teaser released back in March wasn't exciting enough, the full-length trailer caused practically the entire internet to light up with hype thanks to plenty of gnarly jump-scares and freaky creature designs, some seriously stunning cinematography, and all the mayhem one could ask for from this series. But don't just take our word for it. Here's what the fans are saying about the impending release of "Alien: Romulus."

There's always a certain level of risk that comes with new installments of classic franchises, but there's no shortage of reasons to believe that "Alien" remains in safe hands withFede Álvarez. The filmmaker has said all the right things so far, teasing the old-school aesthetics behind the technology on display in "Romulus," leaning hard on the advice and wisdom of directors Ridley Scott and James Cameron, and even relying on much of the same crew that helped build the original Xenomorph queen. But as far as fan reactions go, the images from the trailer are doing all the talking.

Viewers were quick to note just how gorgeous the visuals of "Romulus" look from the newly-released footage, starting from the very opening shot of raindrops splattered across a gloomy window. YouTuber and video essayist Patrick Tomasso explained as much in a post on Twitter (sorry, that would be "X," according to the Weyland-Yutani handbook), saying, "Istopped watching the new 'Alien: Romulus' trailer right at the opening frame. Raindrops on a window with venetian blinds? Vaguely futuristic city nightscape blurred in the background? I'm in. I'm sold. See you opening night."

The account for the fan-run The Fright Club echoed those thoughts, calling the trailer "gorgeous" and noting the very reassuring influences that "Romulus" appears to be drawing from. As they put it, "Definitely giving off the same aesthetic as both the original 1979 classic and [its] amazing 1986 sequel." This lines up perfectly with whatÁlvarez himself recently told Empire, stating that, "To ask an 'Alien' fan to choose between them is a perverse question."Moviegoers can expect the best of both worlds, and that's fully on display throughout this trailer.

20th Century Studios

Here, we have to pause and give a shoutout to the editor(s) of this new footage, as well. If it's true that trailers can be an art in and of themselves, then this one for "Alien: Romulus" might have cemented its status as the best of the year so far. After all, how often do fans end up feeling just as thrilled by a tagline as they are by the actual action? The way these propulsive and tense two minutes incorporate the legendary words from the original film's marketing, however, deserves credit in its own right.

As one fan put it, "I loved how they turned the iconic tagline into their own thing, it's super clever." (Be sure to click through to the tweet to watch the specific clip they're referencing, as it singles out the exact moment where the editing directly homages the original film.) Elsewhere, Twitter userRoybattyforever didn't hold back on this aspect, either: "The trailer for 'Alien: Romulus' is an org*sm for the senses. It has it all: organic photography, action, suspense, and what about the credits, imitating the opening credits of 'Alien: The Eighth Passenger.'" (That last part is actually a reference to the title for the 1979 film in certain international territories, as seen here.) In any case, "Alien" fans clearly recognize a well-made trailer when they see one.

Over on the LV426 subreddit, internet users lavished praise on everything from the moment where a character uses a high-powered light to see the chestburster inside them to the intense sound design of all the gruesome kills to the novelty of seeing a young cast of characters thrown into a situation they're not remotely prepared for. "Alien: Romulus" bursts into theaters on August 16, 2024.