As An Alien Fan, I Really Appreciate Fede Álvarez’s Reason For Still Wanting To Write The Romulus Sequel Despite Not Directing It

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My colleague, Eric Eisenberg, believes *Alien: Romulus* is the third-best film in the *Alien* series, and I tend to agree, which is why another sequel seems likely. However, details about the new movie are scarce. We’ve received a few updates, but it’s still unclear what the story will be. One confirmed detail is that Fede Álvarez won’t be directing this time. While that was initially disappointing as a fan, I admire his decision to remain involved as a writer.

A recent clip from HorrorHound Weekend (September 12-14, 2025), shared by YouTuber Epic Film Guy Jeremy, reveals the *Don’t Breathe* director’s vision for a sequel. He believes the ideal approach is to create a single, definitive follow-up that builds on the original story while also allowing new creative voices to take over. During a panel discussion, he elaborated on this idea:

I never really expected to direct a sequel to Romulus. From the start, we all felt this was a project where you come in for one film and then move on. That’s why I’ve noticed that directors I admire – like Cameron and Fincher – did just one film in the series and then left. Ridley, as the creator, of course, has the freedom to make as many as he wants.

These comments come after the director of *The Girl in the Spider’s Web* acknowledged some errors in his previous film, *Romulus*, and expressed a desire to improve with his next project. This approach mirrors the *Alien* franchise, where each film before *Prometheus* and *Alien: Covenant* had a different director, including Ridley Scott’s return. Álvarez seems to be respecting that tradition of varied creative voices. However, what’s most encouraging to me as a fan is the reason why he and his team decided to make a sequel in the first place. He explained:

We really wanted to write the story ourselves, mainly because we’re so attached to the characters we developed. We didn’t want anyone to unexpectedly kill them off early on, like what happened with Hicks and Newt. So, we wrote it to ensure their survival, and now we’re happy to pass the directing duties to someone else.

For those who’ve followed the series for a while, that decision likely resonated. The controversial reset in *Alien 3* – which undid much of the positive feeling from *Aliens* (a fantastic sequel and one of the best films in the franchise) – was a risky move that disappointed many. By choosing to continue the story of the *Romulus* survivors, the new director can build on existing emotional connections and avoid starting completely over. This also allows fans who are excited to see Cailee Spaeny reprise her role as Rain to continue following her journey.

The director of the new *Evil Dead* film also writing the script is a great move, both for fans and for the filmmaking process. By handling both roles, the characters’ development will stay consistent, while still allowing a new director to bring their own visual style. This approach also gives the next filmmaker freedom to explore different types of stories, much like James Cameron did with *Aliens*, which is a key way to keep a franchise fresh and engaging.

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I’m really pleased that Fede Álvarez and his team will still be involved in overseeing the characters they developed, even though he won’t be directing. The *Alien* series needs that kind of careful guidance. As a longtime fan of the franchise and the horror genre, I’m eager to see where it goes next. In the meantime, I’m happy to watch *Alien: Earth* on FX (and on Hulu) along with *Romulus* until a new movie is announced.

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2025-09-20 22:20