Summary

• Fede Álvarez wanted to follow a younger cast of characters in Alien: Romulus because this hadn't been done in the franchise before.
• Siblinghood is one of the big themes of the movie, and this is related to the "Romulus" subtitle.
• The title is seemingly related to the legend of Romulus and Remus and the founding of Rome, but it's not yet entirely clear how.

Taking place between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens, Álvarez' film follows a group of youth as they encounter a Xenomorph while aboard a spaceship in deep space. Cailee Spaeny leads the new installment in the decades-spanning franchise, with other newcomers including Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Aileen Wu, and Spike Fearn.

Ahead of the Alien: Romulus release date, Àlvarez drops additional information about the younger cast of characters and their connection to the movie's title during a recent interview with EW. According to the filmmaker, the main characters essentially being siblings related to the movie's subtitle. Check out Álvarez's full comment below:

“My first instinct, just to try something different that hasn't been seen before, was to approach it from the angle of characters who are not professionals or scientists; they're not even adults.

"I liked this concept of putting people in the front seat of the story who are closer to what the audience is — not that the audience is young, more that the audience is completely virgin to the realities of space. When the characters are professionals, they know more than you do. But when they’re still in their early 20s, they don’t know how to operate the f---ing airlock.

“All their parents probably worked on the same ship when they were kids, and that’s how they got to know each other. There’s a lot of history between them because they're the only family they have. They truly act more like surrogate siblings; some of them even lived under the same roof. A lot of the big themes of the movie are about siblinghood and what does that mean? The Romulus of it all, and the bigger plot with Weyland-Yutani, is actually connected to that as well.”

What Does Romulus Mean In The Alien Sequel's Title?

The Story Of Romulus & Remus Explained

It hasn't been explicitly revealed, but Álvarez's latest comment essentially confirms that Alien: Romulus' subtitle is a reference to the story of Romulus and Remus in Roman mythology. In short, the legend follows royal brothers Romulus and Remus as they are abandoned in a forest and cared for by a kindly she-wolf. After growing up and exacting their revenge on the king who wronged them, the two brothers decide to build a city of their own. Unable to decide where to build the city, the story eventually ends with Romulus killing Remus and then founding the city of Rome.

It's not entirely clear yet exactly what the connection will be between Alien: Romulus and this age-old legend, but brothers Romulus and Remus evidently don't see eye-to-eye on a crucial issue. This could be a hint that the sibling dynamic aboard the ship in the film will be one fraught with discontent. From a broader perspective, the story of Romulus and Remus is about the founding of one of the greatest empires of all time, perhaps teasing that the film will end with the birth of something grand (or terrible).

Spaeny's character, Rain, might be the Romulus of this story, potentially setting her up as the architect of something that hasn't yet been revealed. How exactly the Alien franchise's classic Xenomorph factors into this connection between the two stories also remains to be seen. Many questions remain about Alien: Romulus, and the true meaning of the title may not be revealed until the movie actually comes out.

Source: EW