Fede Álvarez revived the Alien film series last year with the successful Alien: Romulus, but he won’t be returning to direct the sequel. Instead, Álvarez is only writing the follow-up (to ensure the characters of Rain and Andy aren’t killed off early on) and is happily passing the baton to someone else. As fans wait to see who will helm the sequel, there’s no shortage of names being bandied about. One possibility is Demián Rugna, who was actually mentioned by Álvarez during an appearance at HorrorBound Weekend this year. In light of those comments, Rugna has issued a response addressing the Alien rumors.
Speaking with Omelette, Rugna shared that while he’s a fan of the idea, he is not attached to any Alien movie. “I heard the rumor. It’s truly flattering, and I love the idea, but there’s nothing to it,” he said. “Just a comment from Fede Álvarez. It’s fantastic that they’re linking me to that, but I wish it were true and I didn’t have to say there’s nothing to it.”
With a background in horror that includes titles such as When Evil Lurks and Terrified, Rugna certainly has the right sensibilities to craft a terrifying Alien film. One of the strongest aspects of Alien: Romulus was its stripped-down, back-to-basics approach that placed more of an emphasis on scary set pieces than the deep, philosophical questions of Ridley Scott’s prequels. Bringing in a horror director like Rugna would potentially ensure the Romulus sequel stays true to the franchise’s roots and delivers plenty of genre thrills. Rugna’s earlier films were well-received, so he seems poised to make a jump to more high-profile fare.
While Rugna hasn’t been offered the gig yet, it would appear he’s very much on Álvarez’s radar. Álvarez likely wouldn’t have even mentioned Rugna’s name at the HorrorBound event unless he believed Rugna was a plausible option for the Romulus sequel. The fact that Rugna is open to the possibility is encouraging since the mutual interest could lead to discussions about him coming onboard. However, it’s worth keeping in mind the Romulus sequel remains in early development. It was only about a month ago Álvarez said the script was completed and that he and Scott (who are serving as co-producers) now have to find the right filmmaker to direct.
Fortunately, Álvarez and Scott should have ample time to conduct their search. The Alien: Romulus sequel does not have an official release date yet, so things don’t need to be rushed in order to meet a specific window. At the same time, 20th Century Studios would probably prefer if the Romulus sequel comes to fruition sooner rather than later, striking while the iron is hot after Romulus‘ positive reception. The Alien franchise is a hot commodity in pop culture again with the popularity of Romulus and TV series Alien: Earth, so it would be wise for the studio to maintain that momentum.
Back in February, Álvarez had expressed hope that cameras could possibly start rolling on the Alien: Romulus sequel by the end of this year. However, that was long before he decided he wasn’t going to direct, so the desired production timeline has likely changed. In addition to needing a director, no casting announcements have been made yet (outside of the presumed returns of Romulus stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson), so there’s a lot of work still to be done before filming can start. Depending on how things play out from here, there’s a chance the Romulus sequel can begin shooting some point next year — whether it’s Rugna or someone else calling the shots.
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