“I was like f**king hell”: Alien Romulus Director Made One Grave Mistake While Pitching the Film to Ridley Scott and Filmmaker’s Reaction Left Him Stressed
Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Àlvarez, is an upcoming science fiction horror movie set between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens. It is reportedly the seventh installment in the Alien franchise and stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Aileen Wu, and more. Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, and Walter Hill produced the movie.
As mentioned, the events of the upcoming movie are set between Alien and Aliens. It concerns a group of young space colonists who come face-to-face with one of the most terrifying life forms in space while scavenging a derelict space station. The director shared how he pitched the idea of Alien: Romulus to Ridley Scott.
Fede Àlvarez talks about pitching the idea of Alien: Romulus to Ridley Scott
Filmmaker Fede Àlvarez, who is gearing up for his upcoming science fiction horror movie Alien: Romulus, was recently spotted discussing the story for the first time with fellow filmmaker and producer Ridley Scott. In a video shared by the X account (Film Updates), the filmmaker said,
Someone from the studio told me, ‘Don’t pitch him the story; just give him a vibe of what you want.’ I gave him the vibe, and in the end, Ridley goes, ‘But you don’t have a story.’ I was like, f**king hell.
In another interview with Games Radar, the filmmaker was asked about how Scott had high praises for the director when he screened the movie for him, with a follow-up question about any plot threads from Scott’s Alien prequels. To which he said,
If you haven’t seen any Alien movies ever, you’ll have a great time. You won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything. But if you have seen one or more—oh boy, you’ll have a blast. At least, I hope you will. The reality is that it is a standalone story, but it’s filled with references to every movie. It is truly a love letter to all other movies. I have my favorites, but I love them all.
While speaking to THR, Alvarez notes that he also spoke to James Cameron, who has now watched the movie and loved it, adding that it’s fascinating because Cameron and Scott’s notes and comments are so different. He added that they would not repeat a note, clarifying that what Scott says is different from what Cameron would say. The filmmaker mentioned that the best part of being able to make this movie is getting a chance to work with the two exceptional filmmakers.
Fede Àlvarez reveals he is obsessed with ‘no green screen’
Film Updates shared another video of the director sharing with the audience that he wanted to keep the filming for the movie as practical as he could. He said,
If it can be done practically, it will be done practically. It’s almost like a play. Most things are real. The sets there, there’s no green screen. I don’t want to see green screens. That whole set—you’ve seen that shot where they come out of the airlock—it’s all real. Everything you see. That set, you could’ve gotten lost inside of it.
Earlier, the filmmaker had spoken about the use of CG in Hollywood, stating that the industry can sometimes be very lazy, adding that when CG is done, it’s not because it’s cheap; it’s more expensive but just quicker. Alvarez noted that the CG just saves a headache on set but added that he got himself into the art to make things feel real for the audience, and he wishes for them to see what he sees on set.
In his THR interview, he mentioned that he is obsessed with no green screens when making a movie, so, for creatures, they brought in all the guys from Aliens, and they were a part of Stan Winston’s Special Effects Team. He added that now all of them are at the top of their game. The director added that he even had the chance to be under the table with them, puppeteering all the animatronics. He said he is obsessed with no green screen on set, so they built every creature and set. The movie is highly anticipated and stars Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Mecred, David Jonsson, and more.
Alien: Romulus is scheduled for release on August 16, 2024.
