When Does Alien: Romulus Take Place?

Highlights

Alien: Romulus brings Alien franchise back to basics with terrifying extraterrestrial threat & practical effects.
Director Fede Álvarez following in footsteps of original Alien, focusing on claustrophobic horror & tension.
Alien: Romulus set between Alien & Aliens, adding depth to expanding lore of Alien universe.

Following the release of the latest trailer for Alien: Romulus, there’s a mounting sense of excitement among fans of the series. The latest entry looks set to put the franchise back on track, and fans are eager to see what it has to offer.

Still, with 45 years of history under its belt – as well as a timeline that unfolds out of order across hundreds of years – it may not be obvious when Alien: Romulus is intended to take place. For those hoping to get their footing before diving into the movie, some additional information about Alien: Romulus – and a refresher on the franchise as a whole – may prove useful.

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What is Alien: Romulus About?

Alien: Romulus follows an all-new crew of space dwellers who land on an abandoned space station in the hopes of stripping it for parts. However, the young crew soon discovers that the station holds much more than they bargained for. Before long, they find themselves in a gruesome game of cat and mouse with a horrifying extraterrestrial creature.

Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, Civil War) leads the movie’s ensemble as Rain Carradine. Joining her are David Jonsson (Rye Lane), Isabela Merced (Instant Family, Transformers: The Last Knight), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.

By pretty much every metric, Alien: Romulus looks set to take the Alien franchise back to basics. Its title is a reference to the mythological figure Romulus, who is said to have founded Rome after murdering his brother, Remus. The title alone hints at a theme of beginnings, as well as betrayal. It seems that the movie is aiming to return the franchise to its former glory by following in the footsteps of its foundational entry.

Director Fede Álvarez is known for helming the surprisingly solid Evil Dead remake, as well as Don’t Breathe. He appears to be the perfect choice for the project. Between Evil Dead’s brutal, over-the-top violence and Don’t Breathe’s claustrophobic sense of dread, Álvarez has the potential to nail the unique brand of sci-fi horror pioneered by 1979’s Alien. Álvarez recently informed The Hollywood Reporter that Alien: Romulus was made using primarily practical effects and tangible sets rather than green screens:

I have this obsession with no green screens, so we built every creature and set. Everything had to be built so we were really living and breathing in these spaces.

What Are the Other Alien Movies About?

Alien (1979)

The premise of Ridley Scott’s original Alien film is simple but effective. The crew of the USCSS Nostromo – including Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Ellen Ripley – are awakened from stasis after receiving a mysterious signal from a nearby ship. After investigating the transmission, the crew discover that the dilapidated space station houses a deadly extraterrestrial life-form. The creature, known as a xenomorph, proceeds to tear the crew apart piece by piece.

Despite its science fiction setting, Alien is still very much a horror movie. Its nail-biting tension, claustrophobic setting, and grisly visual effects solidify it as one of the most influential movies of all time in both the science fiction and horror genres.

Aliens (1986)

Releasing seven years after Alien, Aliens functions as more of an action movie than a horror movie. Its premise ups the ante following the small-scale, intimate horror of its predecessor. The movie follows Ripley – along with a large group of overly confident Colonial Marines – as she’s sent back to the moon where her previous crew were slaughtered by a xenomorph. This time, though, the crew must contend with countless hordes of the creatures, along with the terrifying xenomorph queen. Although it’s different from the first movie, Aliens is considered an all-time great in its own right. The question of which movie is superior has sparked heated debate among film buffs for decades.

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Alien 3 (1992) & Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Famous for being the directorial debut of David Fincher, Alien 3 signaled a turning point of sorts for the Alien franchise. Following the critical success of its previous two entries, Alien 3 wasn’t quite so well received. That trend would continue throughout the series’ next few installments.

The story picks up directly after the events of Aliens. Ripley crash-lands in the middle of a deadly penal colony, before becoming embroiled in yet another xenomorph outbreak. Alien: Resurrection was released just a few years later, and was met with a similarly mixed critical response. Strangely, the movie focuses on a cloned version of Ripley over 250 years in the future, as she fights her way through a military ship that plays host to a series of nefarious xenomorph experiments.

The Alien Vs. Predator Movies (2004 & 2007)

Alien 3 Ellen Ripley next to a Xenomorph.

In 2004 and 2007, respectively, Alien vs. Predator and its sequel, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem released, pitting the iconic franchise mascots against each other. While these movies were savaged by critics, they are generally not considered canon to the Alien series.

Prometheus (2012) & Alien: Covenant (2017)

Fortunately, Ridley Scott returned to the franchise just a few years later to helm the flawed but ambitious Prometheus. This prequel to Alien explores the dense mythology of the xenomorphs, as well as the origins of humanity. While it wasn’t to everyone’s taste, Prometheus deserves credit for shaking up the series’ formula and expanding the lore of the Alien universe, while putting additional focus on the twisted machinations of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

The movie’s sequel, Alien: Covenant, features the return of the duplicitous android David (Michael Fassbender). His continued attempts to play god following the events of Prometheus result in the creation of what he sees as the ‘perfect organism’ – the xenomorph. Unfortunately, yet another crew of unsuspecting space-farers fall victim to David’s creations, leading to horrifying consequences for humanity.

Where Does Alien: Romulus Fit in the Timeline?

While it may sound complicated at first, the order in which the Alien movies take place is actually fairly simple. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant are set before the original Alien, serving as prequels. Following Alien, its sequels (up until Alien: Romulus, that is) all unfold in chronological order. Much like the hugely popular survival horror game Alien: Isolation, Alien: Romulus takes place between Alien and its sequel, Aliens. With this in mind, the official order of the Alien movies, chronologically, is as follows:

Prometheus
Alien: Covenant
Alien
Alien: Romulus
Aliens
Alien 3
Alien Resurrection

When does Alien: Romulus come out?

Although initially intended for release on Hulu, Alien: Romulus has since secured an exclusive theatrical release. The movie is currently set to hit theaters August 16, 2024.