James Cameron is certainly a visionary moviemaker, but the impact his sequel had on theAlienfranchise changed everything, and with a sequel forAlien: Romulusnow confirmed, it could happen again. The firstAlienmovie was a groundbreaking crossover between horror and sci-fi by legendary director Ridley Scott, released in 1979. And despite Scott choosing to not direct the sequel in 1986, this opened the door for another up-and-coming director who would go on to direct several of the highest grossing movies in Hollywood of all time, James Cameron.
However, when the movie first came out, it wasn’t the immediate classic that it has since become. And,Ridley Scott was still a fairly new directorwith only one other feature film under his belt. So, the studios were not all that precious when it came to continuing the lore of the original, andCameron was able to make changes to put his own stamp on the Alien landscape. The result was another hit film that frequently ranks high next to the original, but now, decades later, changing the lore of the franchise may do more harm than good.
Aliens Expanded The Lore Of The First Film With New Concepts
James Cameron’s Take On Alien Added A Lot To The Worldbuilding
The firstAlienmovie saw the brave Ridley Scott, played by Sigourney Weaver, joined by a crew of big tough soldiers, face off against a terrifying alien threat. TheXenomorph, a name which wasn’t actually included in the series until the sequel, was a terrifying beast that was shrouded in mystery, and the crew of the Nostromo fought for their lives. But the sequel,Aliens, introduced a lot of additional details and lore about the creatures that would inspire a much larger franchise down through the decades. Thanks to Cameron’s visionary style, the universe was forever changed.
What’s the next-best movie for fans of Prometheus?
These might not be the most obscure picks, but if you’re a big fan of Prometheus, I’d have to suggest Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Michael Fassbender modeled his performance for David off of the main antagonist from Blade Runner, and there are obvious similarities in both movies being directed by Ridley Scott. 2001 is older and far slower-paced than Prometheus, but it tackles similar themes in an artistic way, and there’s a reason why it’s considered one of the best films ever.
Cameronintroduced the Xenomorph Queen, the function and purpose of the facehuggers, and more detail about how these creatures reproduce. And while most of this fit comfortably as an added layer of detail over the events ofAlien,some elements were contradictory to that initial vision. For instance, there is a deleted scene where Ridley discovers Captain Dallas wrapped in a cocoon, which slowly begins to transform his body into an alien egg. However, as seen inAliens, this is in no way similar to how new Xenomorphs are created in the franchise.
Romulus’ Sequel Has The Chance Of Expanding Alien’s Lore Even Further
Alien: Romulus 2 Could Change The World Of Alien Forever
It’s fair to say thatAlien: Romulushas already made a notable addition to the lore of the franchise, with the introduction of the hybrid. However, now thatAlien: Romulusis set to get a sequel, it has an opportunity to further establish new elements inside the franchise, and change the future of the films forever. LikeAliens, the comics andPrometheus, this movie can further build the legacy of these terrifying creatures and their connection to the human race, but whether it should do this is a different question.
Now that the franchise has seven mainline movies, and two spin-offs that crossover with the Predators, there is a lot of history built in to the story.Alien: Romulushad additional factors to consider due to its position in theAlienfranchise timeline, with themovie being set between the first and second films. So, it makes sense that the sequel will be set not long afterRomulus, which will likely mean it is still before, or some time shortly afterAliens. Bringing in new lore could be fun, but it would also be complex and delicate.
Should Alien: Romulus’ Sequel Play Safer Than James Cameron’s Aliens Did?
There Is A Lot More At Stake For Alien: Romulus 2
When considering the changes that came in with Cameron’sAliens, the movie was released almost a decade after the original, and despite sharing the protagonist, it was set more than 50 years later thanks to space travel and sleeping in stasis. This gave Cameron a buffer that made it distanced from the original both in terms of its release, and the film’s in-universe setting. The fact thatRidley Scott was not nearly as big a director he is now, and his legacy was only in its infancy, meant that he had a lot of freedom to play with the story and shape it as he saw fit.
After 45 Years, Alien Finally Fixes Its Biggest Xenomorph Mistake
The first Alien movie was released 45 years ago, and its final cut had a major mistake regarding the Xenomorph - a mistake that was just corrected.
That is not the case today. The franchise now stands out as one of the most popular and well-regarded of all time, and that means a lot of fans have very strict rules about how the world ofAlienshould operate. Whilemovies likePrometheuscan take the story back in time and play with origins, orResurrectioncan tackle the distant future,Alien: Romulusand its sequel need to stick to some guidelines. So, when tackling anotherAlienmovie, it’s probably worth approaching with caution when it comes to changing the legacy.
Alien: Romulus
Cast
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
