We know Fede Álvarez wrote a script for the sequel to “Alien: Romulus,” but last year we learned that he would not be returning to direct this time around. He was supposed to helm the project, but instead, in his own words, decided to “pass the baton.” That’s the narrative he’s putting out there.
This was a very peculiar development, considering Álvarez acknowledged back in June that he was in prep mode on the film and would be shooting it in fall 2025. A little more on that a few paragraphs down.
To that end, Nexus Point News is reporting that Michael Sarnoski is now in talks to direct the sequel. He’s coming off “A Quiet Place: Day One,” which also centered on aliens. Sarnoski had even namechecked “Aliens” as an inspiration while developing the story for “A Quiet Place: Day One.” The result was fairly tense, and grounded action, which is what an ‘Alien’ movie needs.
Sarnoski’s debut, 2021’s “Pig,” was an acclaimed pandemic-era indie starring Nicolas Cage. “A Quiet Place: Day One” was his sophomore outing, and first attempt at major studio IP. He’s also in post-production on “The Death of Robin Hood,” starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.
Now, why did Álvarez exit this “Romulus” sequel? After all, he’d been talking about and planning this sequel for almost a year. Jeff Sneider had previously reported Álvarez’s version of events was spin, and that the real issue might have been a clash with producer Ridley Scott that led to his firing.
Scott was bigfooting Álvarez, who wanted to use Michael Fassbender’s David for the sequel, and Scott wanted none of that since he wanted to be the one to bring him back just in case he ever decided to direct another “Alien” movie. Obviously, given how Scott is the overseer of the entire franchise, he won that clash. It was creative differences that led to Álvarez’s demise.
“Alien: Romulus,” a back-to-basics revival that echoed the structure of Ridley Scott’s 1979 original, was a surprise hit, grossing $350M worldwide on a relatively modest $80M budget. Cailee Spaeny’s performance as Rain, a modern-day Ripley of sorts, was one of the film’s standout elements and likely a key factor in fast-tracking the sequel.