Comic-Con 2024: ‘Alien: Romulus’ Panel

Director Fede Alvarez and cast including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson and Spike Fearn debuted some terrifying new looks at the latest ‘Alien’ movie.

Spike Fearn, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, director Fede Álvarez and Archie Renaux at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 'Alien: Romulus' panel.

(L to R) Spike Fearn, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, director Fede Álvarez and Archie Renaux at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 'Alien: Romulus' panel. Photo: Disney.

Preview:

‘Alien: Romulus’ brought terror to the San Diego Comic-Con.
Director Fede Alvarez and his cast were in attendance.
The movie’s team brought Facehuggers to the presentation.

It’s always a challenge to stand out at a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con; but when you have the compelling terror of an ‘Alien’ movie and the resources of 20th Century Studios, you can afford to put on a show.

With journalists previously teased by a VHS tape begging up the idea of the panel weeks before, the Con event itself proved to be memorable, launched with flashing red lights and red smoke piercing the pre-show gloom and closing with a planted audience member stumbling on stage, attacked by a Facehugger (AKA the larval stage of the xenomorph aliens we love to hate), others of the creature scuttling across the stage and another person having an alien burst from his chest with a spray of fake blood.

You can get a flavor of the live experience here:

What’s the story of ‘Alien: Romulus’?

Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine in 20th Century Studios' 'Alien: Romulus.'

‘Alien: Romulus’ takes place between the events of ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’.

While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.

Alien: Romulus

"In space, no one can hear you."

R1 hr 59 minAug 16th, 2024

Showtimes & Tickets

Watch Alien: Romulus Online

Who is in ‘Alien: Romulus’?

(L to R) David Jonsson, Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny, and Spike Fearn at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 'Alien: Romulus' panel. Photo: Disney.

Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn are among the main cast for the movie, and they were all present for the Comic-Con panel.

The actors talked about their roles and the experience shooting the movie, which blended practical and physical effects –– Fearn talked about not having to shoot “with tennis balls”, while Spaeny enthused about being enveloped by the huge practical sets.

What did we learn at the ‘Alien: Romulus’ Comic-Con panel?

Director Fede Álvarez, Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux and Spike Fearn at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 'Alien: Romulus' panel. Photo: Disney.

(L to R) Director Fede Álvarez, Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux and Spike Fearn at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 'Alien: Romulus' panel. Photo: Disney.

Director Fede Alvarez, who wrote the script with regular collaborator Rodo Sayagues, answered the lion’s share of the questions, including those submitted by the likes of Ridley Scott (director of the original 1979 ‘Alien’ and a couple of more recent spin-offs, who is a producer on ‘Romulus’), Dan Trachtenberg (director of Predator movie ‘Prey’) and Guillermo del Toro (a filmmaker who surely needs little introduction).

Asked by del Toro about his approach to leading the design for the latest take on the xenomorph creature, he admitted it included lots of reading and looking through old films to make sure they honored what came before. “If you love it, it's hard to f*** it up,” he said.

Trachtenberg asked who would win between a Predator and a Xenomorph, with Alvarez and his cast clear that the Xenomorphs would triumph.

Cailee Spaeny at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024 'Alien: Romulus' panel. Photo: Disney.

Scott got two questions –– one about the themes of the new movie (“It’s called ‘Romulus’ because it's really a story about siblinghood,” Alvarez said, explaining that he wants to explore more human connections in a way the original movies didn’t.

The other Scott query could almost have come from the fan Q&A section, grilling Alvarez on his favorite ‘Alien’ movie, with the proviso that he directed the original –– which Alvarez confirmed he loved the most (well, it wouldn’t do to be fired at this point).

Dotted through the panel was footage from the movie, including a chestburster scene that the director explained upfront had been edited differently to the final film version so as to preclude some spoilers. All the scenes shown from the movie had the audience screaming and cheering in equal measure.