Cailee Spaeny, one of the stars of Alien: Romulus, has revealed where the new Alien movie takes place within the franchise timeline.
“It’s supposed to slot in between the first movie and the second movie,” Spaeny told Variety at The Gotham Awards. “They brought the same team from Aliens, the James Cameron film. The same people who built those xenomorphs actually came on and built ours. So getting to see the original design with the original people who have been working on these films for 45-plus years and has been so much of their life has been really incredible.”
There are approximately 57 years between the events in Alien and Aliens, so Alien: Romulus will fall somewhere in that timeframe. The specific year when Alien: Romulus will take place is unknown.
What is Involved in Alien: Romulus?
Alien: Romulus is directed by Fede Álvarez from a script he co-wrote with Rodo Sayagues. Alien: Romulus will be considered a standalone film. It is the ninth film in the Alien franchise and first since 2017’s Alien: Covenant. Ridley Scott, who directed the first Alien, returns to produce alongside Michael Pruss.
Spaeny, the star of Priscilla, headlines Alien: Romulus alongside Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. Filming took place from March 2023 to July 2023 in Budapest.
Originally scheduled to be released on Hulu, Alien: Romulus will now arrive in theaters on August 16, 2024.