Summary

• A new trailer for Alien: Romulus is released, highlighting the new entry in the Alien franchise.
• The trailer showcases the immersive soundscape and terrifying visuals of the Xenomorph.
• Director Fede Álvarez aims to meet high franchise expectations.

A new trailer has been released for Alien: Romulus features a leading cast including Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, David Jonsson, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.

Now, 20th Century Studios has released a new trailer for Alien: Romulus.

The trailer begins with Spaeny’s character waking up from a slumber, then goes on to show her and others traveling through space to a distant station. The background is populated by a repetitive crunching, that is followed by a rhythmic thumping sound. A terrifying vision of the Xenomorph is first seen inhabiting the body of Wu’s character, visible once a light is placed behind her. The trailer then devolves into more images of the terrifying aliens.

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This full Alien: Romulus trailer is exceptionally well-crafted, boding well for the film. Specifically, the trailer is able to create ample suspense through a soundscape without relying on dialogue. In one moment, text on screen reads “In Space…No One…Can Hear You” before cutting to an image of a character clearly screaming, visually, but silently. This is in reference to the original Alien tagline, "In space, no one can hear you scream." An electronic buzz is all that can be heard in place of a human howl. The control with which the Alien: Romulus trailer handles the sound editing alone makes it one of the more exciting trailers of the year.

This kind of authorship over the trailer also speaks volumes of Álvarez as a director. The director of Don’t Breathe, which focuses on a blind man dealing with a home invasion, Álvarez is well-versed in delving into horror that is highly sensorial. The Alien: Romulus trailer suggests that this space bound horror is no exception, immersing audiences with the Xenomorphs and the space station.

Even with this promising start, Alien: Romulus has a high bar to live up to. Alien and Aliens were directed by powerhouse directors Ridley Scott and James Cameron, respectively. Given the reputations of both directors, it will be hard to top these previous franchise films. A good sign, however, is the fact that Álvarez has previously mentioned that both franchise directors offered a positive response to Alien: Romulus. Time will tell whether the Alien film can live up to its promising beginnings as it releases later this summer.

Alien: Romulus releases August 16.

Source: 20th Century Studios