After watching the Alien: Romulus trailer, many fans wish to know where it takes place in the Alien franchise timeline, and how it is connected to other movies. So, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Alien outing and its connections.
When does Alien: Romulus take place on the timeline?
Alien: Romulus is set between Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986).
Alien: Romulus is the seventh solo Alien movie, and the ninth in the franchise counting the two Alien Vs. Predator crossovers. As for its placement in the timeline, it comes between the first and second Alien movies, which was also confirmed by director Fede Álvarez in his interview with THR.
So, here’s how the Alien timeline looks in its chronological order of events:
- AVP: Alien Vs. Predator (2004)
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien (1979)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien Resurrection (1997)
But with at least five movie events taking place before it, will it be compulsory to watch them all? Probably not, as the answer depends upon the viewer’s preference.
Is Alien: Romulus a sequel or a prequel?
Alien: Romulus acts as a sequel to Alien (1979) and a prequel to Aliens (1986).
When implied by THR that Alien: Romulus is “unconnected” to the first and second Alien movies, director Fede Álvarez replied, “That’s not correct, but it does take place between the two movies. The way we crafted it is if you haven’t seen any of them, I’m jealous because you’ll have an incredible experience. You’ll have all these worlds of Alien coming at you, and you’ve never experienced any of this. You don’t know how the creature is born, and you don’t know any of these things. That’s fantastic. You’ll have a blast.”
He continued, “Now, if you’ve seen the others, then it’s a completely different experience in a way, because you’ll see and you’ll find those connections with the other movies.”
He confirmed the film is crafted in a way that newer audiences who haven’t seen any Alien movies to date would also be able to enjoy it. But people familiar with the Alien backstory and all past movies would also be able to spot links, as it is connected to all those movies.
For more updates, learn when The Acolyte takes place. Also, find out whether Darth Plagueis will appear in it.
