ALIEN: ROMULUS WON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AS MARVEL & DC FILMS, DIRECTOR SAYS
Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez recently discussed his upcoming sci-fi epic, revealing that the movie's use of practical effects recaptures a level of realism that will enthrall audiences. The filmmaker believes that Marvel and DC superhero fare, for the most part, no longer create awe-inspiring moments for their fans due to an over-reliance on CGI.
Per Metro, Álvarez opined that the believability of a film's special effects yields greater immersion in the material by audiences, leading the director to favor the use of practical effects. To emphasize his point, Álvarez compared Alien: Romulus to Marvel and DC blockbusters which rely heavily on the use of CGI. "Ideally, we fool you, which is what I think movies to a certain extent have stopped trying to do. Maybe because it's a different thing, I don't know – not to go at Marvel or DC movies, but I don't think they try to be photorealistic," he argued, adding that, "no one is trying to get you to believe the creature or whatever it is, is in there," which he insists the best movies used to do.
Why This 2013 Horror Movie Reboot Matters for Alien: Romulus Fans
Director Fede lvarez once brought a Meidas touch to a moribund franchise. He's aiming to repeat the feat in the same way with Alien: Romulus.
The Evil Dead director continued, "The special effects movies used [to provoke a reaction of], 'Wow, I can't believe I'm seeing this!' And it seems like those movies have given up for the most part. But we haven’t, which has been an enormous task for us, to really push everybody involved in understanding that particularly with Alien, you need to believe that what you’re looking at is real otherwise, it just doesn't work." Álvarez argued that Hollywood used the more expensive CGI over practical effects because it was faster and had easier implementation.
Alien: Romulus Blends Two Iconic Franchise Entries
In a previous interview, Álvarez discussed blending the iconic franchise entries, Alien and Aliens, to create the ultimate Alien film. "To ask an Alien fan to choose between them is a perverse question. So I thought, 'How do I do both?'" he said. In his upcoming movie, the galactic Renaissance Station is split into two: the eponymous Aliens-esque Romulus, and Remus, which more closely resembles the setting of Alien.
Where Alien: Romulus Fits in the Franchise's Timeline
The Alien movie franchise has a sprawling and long timeline, with the upcoming Alien: Romulus taking place between two of the most vital entries.
"There’s a moment where the characters are walking around areas familiar from the Nostromo [from Alien]. Then they cross through that building and on the other side: boom! You’re in a hallway that looks like Hadley’s Hope [from Aliens]," Álvarez revealed.
Alien: Romulus will premiere in theaters on August 16, 2024.
Source: Metro
Alien: Romulus
Alien: Romulus follows a group of space explorers who discover an uncharted planet with a dark secret. As they investigate, they are hunted by deadly xenomorphs and uncover ancient ruins revealing the planet's terrifying history. The crew must use their skills and technology to survive the relentless attacks and find a way to escape the hostile environment.