When Alien: Romulus Takes Place on the Series Timeline

The star of Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus, Cailee Spaeny, has revealed when the upcoming theatrical film takes place in the official Alien series timeline, and it should excite longtime fans of the franchise.

While speaking to Variety on the Gotham Awards red carpet, Spaeny revealed the following about Romulus: “It’s supposed to slot in between the first movie and the second movie. They brought the same team from Aliens, the James Cameron film. The same people who built those xenomorphs actually came on and built ours. So getting to see the original design with the original people who have been working on these films for 45-plus years and has been so much of their life has been really incredible.”

Related: Ridley Scott Has Seen Alien: Romulus – and He Loves It

Despite being pitched as a standalone entry in the franchise, Alien: Romulus‘ close connection to the first films of the series is not too surprising. Ridley Scott, who helmed Alien and several follow-ups, is serving as the lead producer for Romulus and working closely with Alvarez in its development. There is no indication that the narrative will directly pick up from Alien and lead into Aliens, but the foundation has been set for a faithful addition to the longstanding franchise.

Alien: Romulus features a small but exciting young crop of talent. Spaeny is currently garnering awards attention for her star-making turn in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. After appearing in the ill-fated Pacific Rim Uprising in 2018, Spaeny makes her return to blockbuster filmmaking with Romulus. She will be joined by Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, and Archie Renaux. Fede Alvarez returns to the director’s chair after tackling the Evil Dead reboot and Don’t Breathe, making his way back into franchise filmmaking with Romulus.

Alien: Romulus is set to release exclusively in theaters on August 16, 2024. The synopsis available is brief but familiar: “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe“.