‘Alien: Romulus’ Sequel Confirmed to Be Not Dead Despite Reports!!

Alien: Romulus was one of the most pleasant surprises when it released back in 2024, as it successfully managed to do two things: revive the Alien franchise and make people want to see even more of the xenomorphs in a more traditional setting. But worrying reports emerged this week that suggested the sequel was canned, and that was crushing news for all of us who loved seeing Rain Carradine go full Ellen Ripley. Now, though, 20th Century Studios has stepped in to let us know what’s what.

According to one outlet, the Alien: Romulus sequel had been “indefinitely shelved and might not ever happen,” with the report claiming creative disagreements surrounding the franchise’s direction had derailed the project, but those claims were swiftly challenged by 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell, who responded with a simple and extremely firm “Nope” when the report began circulating online, which is boss behavior if ever we’ve seen it.

While Asbell didn’t go into much more detail, it’s clear that a sequel is still a priority for 20th Century Studios and the wider Disney side of the company, even if Fede Álvarez won’t be involved. Álvarez confirmed he would not direct another installment, explaining that he always intended to make just one Alien movie. While Ridley Scott was closely involved with the project as a producer, both he and Álvarez are happy for another director to take the reins after the story was written to ensure the existing characters would not be immediately offed in unceremonious fashion.

Meanwhile, Brian Duffield is developing another Alien project for 20th Century Studios. While some reports have suggested it could distance itself from Romulus, Duffield has also hinted on social media that his project remains connected to the 2024 blockbuster, leaving the franchise’s future deliberately unclear.

How Successful Was ‘Alien: Romulus’

Alien: Romulus proved to be a major success for 20th Century Studios, earning $350.9 million worldwide and restoring a lot of public confidence in the franchise after the mixed responses to Scott’s Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. The film also earned an 80% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best-reviewed entries in the series in years. The film starred Cailee Spaeny (Civil War) as Rain Carradine, David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus) as Andy, Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone) as Tyler, Isabela Merced (The Last of Us) as Kay, Spike Fearn (Aftersun) as Bjorn, and Aileen Wu (Away From Home) as Navarro.