There’s always a certain level of risk that comes with new installments of classic franchises, but there’s no shortage of reasons to believe that “Alien” remains in safe hands with Fede Álvarez. The filmmaker has said all the right things so far, teasing the old-school aesthetics behind the technology on display in “Romulus,” leaning hard on the advice and wisdom of directors Ridley Scott and James Cameron, and even relying on much of the same crew that helped build the original Xenomorph queen. But as far as fan reactions go, the images from the trailer are doing all the talking.
Viewers were quick to note just how gorgeous the visuals of “Romulus” look from the newly-released footage, starting from the very opening shot of raindrops splattered across a gloomy window. YouTuber and video essayist Patrick Tomasso explained as much in a post on Twitter (sorry, that would be “X,” according to the Weyland-Yutani handbook), excitedly said, “I stopped watching the new ‘Alien: Romulus’ trailer right at the opening frame. Raindrops on a window with venetian blinds? Vaguely futuristic city nightscape blurred in the background? I’m in. I’m sold. See you opening night.”
The account for the fan-run The Fright Club echoed those thoughts, calling the trailer “gorgeous” and noting the very reassuring influences that “Romulus” appears to be drawing from. As they put it, “Definitely giving off the same aesthetic as both the original 1979 classic and it’s amazing 1986 sequel.” This lines up perfectly with what Álvarez himself recently told Empire, stating that, “To ask an ‘Alien’ fan to choose between them is a perverse question.” Moviegoers can expect the best of both worlds, and that’s fully on display throughout this trailer.