Summary
- Alien: Romulus returns to the franchise's horror roots with practical effects, capturing the gritty realism of the original Alien film.
- Director Fede Álvarez showcases the Xenomorph animatronic in a behind-the-scenes video, emphasizing the film's practical effects approach.
- Cailee Spaeny leads the cast in Alien: Romulus, set between the first two franchise films, promising terrifying encounters with Xenomorphs.
A behind-the-scenes video reveals a look at Alien: Romulus' cast alongside David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.
On Instagram, Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez shared a video revealing a behind-the-scenes look at the film's amazingly practical Xenomorph effects during the creature's development. Check it out below:
The short BTS video shows the first test of the amazing Xenomorph animatronic that was created by Legacy Effects for Alien: Romulus.
Alien: Romulus Returns To The Franchise's Horror Roots With Amazing Practical Effects
Later Alien Movies Relied Too Heavily On CGI
Much of the movie's marketing has centered around its return to the franchise's horror roots, as seen in Ridley Scott's original Alien movie from 1979. Romulus intentionally has a lot in common with the original movie, such as its setting and premise, following a crew who comes across a derelict space station, returning strictly to the claustrophobic confines of a spaceship. Romulus also introduces a new Ripley-like figure in Spaeny's lead character, Rain, who serves as the film's final girl.
Álvarez, known for Evil Dead and Don't Breathe, is the perfect director to take the Alien franchise back to its horror roots. Other than its premise and setting, one of the main ways Romulus achieves this is through a reliance on practical effects. The original Alien is renowned for its practical effects, especially regarding the Xenomorph, which was brought to life through a combination of costumes, puppetry, and animatronics using H.R. Giger's designs. The use of practical effects allowed the actors to interact with actual physical elements, creating a gritty realism that made the horror feel immediate and visceral.
Alien: Romulus' Creature Update Solves 1 Of The Big Problems With Ridley Scott's Prometheus
Alien: Romulus is promising to make several exciting innovations to the franchise, yet one update suggests a return to what worked so well before.
In contrast, the latter Alien movies, particularly Scott's prequel films, increasingly relied on CGI to depict the Xenomorph and other creatures. While this certainly allowed for the creatures to move more fluidly, they often lacked the tactile presence that made the original Alien so unsettling. This over-reliance on CGI in the later films is often cited as the reason for the franchise's inability to evoke the same level of fear and tension as the original. With Alien: Romulus once again prioritizing practical effects, it should deliver the same raw, horrifying impact as the original.
Source: Fede Álvarez/Instagram
Alien: Romulus
- Release Date
- August 16, 2024
- Runtime
- 119 Minutes
- Director
- Fede Alvarez
Cast
Rain
Andy
WHERE TO WATCH
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.
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