Ridley Scott Sent a Stern Warning to Fede Álvarez on the Very First Day of Shooting Alien: Romulus
- Fede Álvarez takes on 'Alien: Romulus,' facing the big pressure of the franchise.
- Ridley Scott’s note to Álvarez stresses the high stakes and heavy expectations.
- Scott backs Álvarez’s creative freedom, even with the tough challenges of directing.
The new film Alien: Romulus isn’t just another entry in a well-loved series. It’s a daunting task for director Fede Álvarez, who’s now in charge of a series famous for its sci-fi horror.
The pressure is immense for the director, as a brief note from the franchise’s first-ever director, Ridley Scott, makes clear. It serves as a stern warning to Álvarez, given the high expectations due to the success of previous films.
A Heavy Burden for Fede Álvarez
On the very first day of shooting, Fede Álvarez received a typed note from Ridley Scott. It’s a blunt message, but one that shows the heavy expectations resting on Álvarez’s shoulders. The message, shared on Instagram by Álvarez, reads:
Dear Fede, Good luck. Good health. Good hunting. Don’t f–k up. Very best wishes, Ridley Scott.
However, it looks like the Uruguayan filmmaker is ready to take on the challenge, and even Scott sees Álvarez as a breath of fresh air for the series. The 46-year-old is clearly excited about the project himself. He said in a featurette by 20th Century Studios on YouTube:
There’s a lot of secrets, things they don’t know inside that ship, that will cost them dearly. This film brings all of the things we love from this franchise, so you know it’s going to be properly scary.
Alien: Romulus will feature all the usual Alien scares while also trying some new things. The film takes place between the original Alien and Aliens and will explore the previously unseen era in the franchise.
The film centers on two young women, played by Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine and Isabela Merced as Kay, who are trying to flee their home planet. As is always the case in the Alien universe, their escape goes terribly wrong.
Ridley Scott Backs Fede Álvarez’s Vision for Alien: Romulus
The newest Alien movie is the seventh main installment and the ninth overall if you include the Alien vs. Predator crossover series. It’s the first film since Ridley Scott’s 2017 Alien: Covenant.
Since that film didn’t perform as well, Scott handed directing duties to Álvarez. While Scott is no longer directing, he stayed on as the main producer for this new movie. The 86-year-old told the Los Angeles Times:
The danger of all franchises is they do die unless somebody suddenly decides to pick up the mat and run down the field with a ball. Fede is a surge of energy, and I had to step back and let him do it … Fede had a blueprint firm in his mind, and his script was pretty clear. It was also long, but the screenplay is always long. And so we got into that a little bit.
The Napoleon director stressed that it’s important for Álvarez to have the freedom to create his own vision. He mentioned that getting advice from everyone can be hard. This shows Scott trusts Álvarez’s talent and understands how tough directing a big franchise can be.
Alien: Romulus is set to release on 16 August 2023.
