“It was horrendous”: Alien: Romulus Director Fede Álvarez Made an Actor Put Something “disgusting” in His Mouth to Make a Scene Look Realistic

While method actors willingly put themselves in the shoes of their characters to ignite a spark and portray the role well, some directors are perfectionists who urge their actors to deliver a scene as realistically as possible. Visionary filmmakers including Christopher Nolan and Fede Álvarez are known to help their cast get into the right mindset to enact a scene to a glorious end.

Álvarez’s latest venture Alien: Romulus is no different. Even though he is working with young actors who are new to the field, the director, by no means, has lessened his expectations.

Fede Álvarez wanted Spike Fearn to look completely disgusted

In one moment of the movie Alien: Romulus, director Fede Álvarez wanted Bjorn, played by Spike Fearn, to look absolutely disgusted. Álvarez wanted the emotion to come out naturally, rather than being forced by acting. So, when someone gave him candy that tasted absolutely horrendous, he thought of giving that to Fearn for the said scene.

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In an interview with MTV, the cast and the director spoke about some tough choices and challenges that came their way. So, when Isabela Merced revealed how Álvarez put them through some tough scenes, the director claimed,

That was disgusting candy. Like, and I love licorice, but this was salt, and sugar, and licorice, it was horrendous. Someone gave it to me, and I was like, this is terrible. And then there was a moment that you need to be completely disgusted. And I was like, when I say action, put this sh-t in your mouth. And you were like, “Yes, sir.”

To this, actor Fearn claimed that he was up for doing anything the director wanted. The scene further required Bjorn to bleed and salivate, the latter aspect also taken care of by the licorice candy. Ultimately, the scene turned out to be exactly how Álvarez wanted it to be. Thus, Álvarez and his quest for authenticity was justified.

Is Alien: Romulus a sequel to Alien: Covenant?

The Alien movies are usually standalone stories set in the same universe. They connect via their setting and collective motive while the characters and their goals can be different. The actors and storyline of Alien: Romulus connects to Alien: Covenant similarly, through the setting and the overall agenda. However, it does not serve as a direct sequel to the earlier movies.

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Álvarez claimed that he wanted to keep the sanctity of the movies alive by connecting the creatures and technology in the films. The general idea of the movie remains the same. A group of youngsters encounter alien life forms in an otherworldly place and navigate the perils of that evil.

Alien: Romulus is set to release on August 23, 2024.