MOVIE NEWS – Only days after a report claimed that the Alien: Romulus sequel had been delayed indefinitely amid interference from Ridley Scott, the president of 20th Century Studios publicly denied that the film had been shelved. The project still has no director, however, meaning the xenomorph’s return is not dead but is hardly approaching production at full speed.

Alien: Romulus delivered the kind of result in 2024 that no studio would casually ignore. Fede Álvarez’s film cost approximately $80 million and earned more than $350 million worldwide, while receiving a substantially warmer response from critics and audiences than Alien: Covenant. Development of a sequel began soon afterwards. Álvarez and his regular collaborator Rodo Sayagues completed a screenplay, but the director later announced that he would pass the camera to another filmmaker while remaining involved as a producer alongside Ridley Scott.

Did the Search for a Director Become a Creative Power Struggle?

The latest rumor claimed that the studio had spent months unsuccessfully attempting to secure a director. Several filmmakers were reportedly considered, but none remained attached, while Scott was said to be exerting increasing influence over the direction of the project. The same report alleged that Álvarez wanted to bring back Michael Fassbender’s android David, only for Scott to oppose the character’s inclusion. David was left with a major unresolved storyline at the end of Alien: Covenant, and his return could have connected Álvarez’s younger cast with the mythology of Scott’s prequel films. None of those behind-the-scenes claims has been officially confirmed. Scott, Álvarez and Disney have not publicly described any creative dispute, and the suggestion that the sequel had been placed on indefinite hold relied on a single anonymous source.

The Studio Says the Sequel Has Not Been Buried

The story changed again when 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell responded to the shelving claim with a single word: “Nope.” His blunt denial did not announce a director, production schedule or release date, but it made clear that the studio does not consider the project abandoned. The sequel is expected to continue the story of Rain and Andy, potentially bringing back Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson. The pair were travelling toward Yvaga III at the conclusion of Romulus, although in the Alien universe, a “fresh start” is usually a polite way of saying that another egg is already beginning to open nearby. Alien: Romulus 2 has therefore not been officially cancelled, but it still lacks a director, production date and theatrical window. The xenomorph has not been blasted out of the airlock; it has simply been placed in another dark corridor while Hollywood decides who is allowed to switch on the emergency lights.

Source: MovieWeb.