History of Alien: Romulus in Timeline

Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Álvarez and set between Alien and Aliens, follows a group of young space colonists scavenging a derelict space station. They encounter terrifying alien creatures, forcing them to fight for survival. The film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu as the colonists facing this deadly threat in the Alien universe.

1979: Setting of Alien

In 1979, the events of the film Alien take place, which serves as a prequel to Alien: Romulus.

1986: Setting of Aliens

In 1986, the events of the film Aliens take place, which is used as a reference point for Alien: Romulus.

1992: Reference to Alien 3

Alien 3, released in 1992, is referenced in Alien: Romulus.

1997: Reference to Alien Resurrection

Alien Resurrection, released in 1997, is referenced in Alien: Romulus.

2004: Last Alien series release on VHS

In 2004, Alien vs. Predator was released, marking the last installment in the Alien series to receive an official release on VHS format before Alien: Romulus in 2024.

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2006: Last major Hollywood film release on VHS

In 2006, the last major Hollywood film was released on VHS format before Alien: Romulus received a limited release on VHS in 2024.

2012: Reference to Prometheus

Prometheus, released in 2012, is referenced in Alien: Romulus.

2014: Inspiration from Alien: Isolation

In 2014, Alien: Isolation served as an inspiration for Alien: Romulus, particularly in set design.

2016: Don't Breathe gross

In 2016, Fede Álvarez's film Don't Breathe earned $26.4 million. Alien: Romulus had record breaking gross for the director, exceeding that value.

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2017: Reference to Alien: Covenant

Alien: Covenant, released in 2017, is referenced in Alien: Romulus.

2018: Reference to Alien: The Cold Forge

Alien: The Cold Forge, a novel by Alex White released in 2018, is referenced in Alien: Romulus.

2018: Pacific Rim Uprising gross

In 2018, Cailee Spaeny starred in Pacific Rim Uprising, which earned $28.1 million. Alien: Romulus had record breaking gross for the actress, exceeding that value.

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April 2019: 20th Century Studios announces plans for future Alien films

In April 2019, at CinemaCon, 20th Century Studios (then 20th Century Fox) announced plans to produce future Alien films.

2019: 20th Century Fox confirms future Alien films in development

In 2019, following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by The Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Fox confirmed at CinemaCon that future Alien films were in development.

2020: Inspiration from The Last of Us Part II

In 2020, The Last of Us Part II, served as an inspiration for the pregnancy of the character Kay in Alien: Romulus.

March 2022: Álvarez to write and direct seventh Alien film

In March 2022, it was reported that Fede Álvarez would write and direct a seventh Alien film after pitching his own story.

March 2022: Álvarez attached as director

In March 2022, Álvarez was attached as director for Alien: Romulus.

October 1, 2022: Start of Halloween period tracked by JustWatch

October 1, 2022, marked the beginning of the Halloween period tracked by JustWatch, during which Alien: Romulus became the tenth most-streamed horror film in Canada.

November 2022: Cailee Spaeny in negotiations to star

In November 2022, Cailee Spaeny entered negotiations to star in Alien: Romulus.

December 2022: Archie Renaux secretly cast

In December 2022, Archie Renaux was secretly cast in Alien: Romulus, also auditioning for Jonsson's role.

2022: Álvarez expresses interest in directing an Alien vs. Predator film with Dan Trachtenberg

In 2022, Fede Álvarez expressed his interest in co-directing a third Alien vs. Predator film with Dan Trachtenberg, drawing inspiration from the collaborative directing style of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez in "From Dusk till Dawn".

February 2023: Spike Fearn cast in Alien: Romulus

In February 2023, Spike Fearn was cast in Alien: Romulus after submitting self-tapes.

March 2023: Isabela Merced set to co-star

In March 2023, Isabela Merced was set to co-star in Alien: Romulus alongside Spaeny.

July 3, 2023: Principal photography wraps

On July 3, 2023, principal photography for Alien: Romulus concluded in Budapest.

July 2023: Filming wraps up

In July 2023, filming for Alien: Romulus concluded after taking place from March to July.

August 12, 2024: Alien: Romulus premieres in Los Angeles

On August 12, 2024, Alien: Romulus premiered in Los Angeles.

August 15, 2024: Alien: Romulus UK premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival

On August 15, 2024, Alien: Romulus had its UK premiere at the 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival.

August 16, 2024: Alien: Romulus released in US and UK

On August 16, 2024, Alien: Romulus was released by 20th Century Studios in the United States and United Kingdom.

October 15, 2024: Alien: Romulus released for digital download

On October 15, 2024, Alien: Romulus was released through digital download.

October 2024: 20th Century Studios announces sequel idea with Fede Álvarez

In October 2024, Steve Asbell, president of 20th Century Studios, announced that they are working on a sequel idea with Fede Álvarez.

October 23, 2024: Alien: Romulus #1 comic book published

On October 23, 2024, Marvel Comics published Alien: Romulus #1, a tie-in prequel comic book bridging the events of Alien and Romulus.

November 15, 2024: Vinyl edition of Alien: Romulus soundtrack released

On November 15, 2024, a vinyl edition of the Alien: Romulus soundtrack, featuring six bonus tracks, was released.

December 2024: Alien: Romulus places No. 1 on Circana's Top 10 physical media titles list

In December 2024, Alien: Romulus achieved the No. 1 position on Circana's Top 10 physical media titles list.

2024: Alien: Romulus streaming viewership

In 2024, Alien: Romulus garnered significant streaming viewership, including 325 million minutes watched from November 18-24, and was ranked as a top-streamed program by Reelgood.

2024: Alien: Romulus release

In 2024, Alien: Romulus, the seventh installment in the Alien film series, was released. Directed by Fede Álvarez, the film is set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) and follows a group of young space colonists encountering hostile creatures.

2024: Criticism of digitally adding Ian Holm

In 2024, the decision to digitally add the late Ian Holm for the character of Rook in Alien: Romulus was widely criticized, with many calling it exploitative and unnecessary.

February 2025: Álvarez Confirmed to be Writing Script for sequel

In February 2025, Álvarez confirmed he was writing the script for a sequel, and it was to be his next project, with principal photography tentatively scheduled for later that year.

October 13, 2025: End of Halloween period tracked by JustWatch

October 13, 2025, marked the end of the Halloween period tracked by JustWatch, during which Alien: Romulus was the tenth most-streamed horror film in Canada.

2025: Alien: Romulus ranked forty-ninth on Circana VideoScan's Top Selling Titles on Disc

In 2025, Alien: Romulus ranked forty-ninth on Circana VideoScan's Top Selling Titles on Disc.

2025: Álvarez suggests co-directing with Dan Trachtenberg

In 2025, Álvarez proposed co-directing a third Alien vs. Predator film with Dan Trachtenberg, referencing Tarantino and Rodriguez's collaboration on "From Dusk till Dawn".