New Alien: Romulus Footage Reveals Practical (And Extremely Scary) Xenomorphs

"Alien: Romulus" is taking the franchise back to its basics — and providing plenty of fresh scares for us along the way. Even before the "Romulus" teaser was officially unveiled, it was obvious that horror filmmaker Fede Álvarez was intent on riding the fine line between paying homage to the franchise classics that came before while still adding something new to the series. The most recent "Alien" prequel movies by original director Ridley Scott may have inspired some divisive reactions, trading in the grimy and blue-collar aesthetics of the 1979 film for a more refined and modern touch, but the entire marketing approach behind this newest entry seems geared towards assuring the public that there's just something irresistible about a bunch of unsuspecting victims completely in over their heads against the fearsome might of killer xenomorphs.

That's pretty much the main message of this latest featurette released by 20th Century Studios, which includes new interviews by the cast and crew along with some tantalizing behind-the-scenes glimpses of the actual filming of the movie. While the full-length "Romulus" trailer unmistakably boasts the most cutting-edge visual effects that major blockbusters have to offer these days, there's also a refreshing sense that the production has returned to the old-school techniques that helped make the original "Alien" movie an instant hit. That means gritty camerawork that'll make us feel like we're right there in the middle of the action, an emphasis on the horror, and, yes, practical xenomorphs. Check out the new footage at the link above!

As if the wait for the release of "Alien: Romulus" couldn't get any more difficult, the studio had to go and drop some brand-new footage that only makes the upcoming movie seem that much more like a can't-miss event. The story focuses on Rain (played by Cailee Spaeny) and a whole new group of young scavengers on a derelict space station — one that, inevitably, ends up a house of horrors when xenomorphs are (somehow) unleashed on our overmatched protagonists. As Álvarez puts it in the featurette, "The whole idea behind this film was to really take it back to basics and make it a pure horror movie again." The featurette doesn't just show off its cast in action during the filming of "Romulus," however, but it goes even further and reveals a few quick snapshots of what sure looks like another performer in a xenomorph suit at roughly the 50-second mark of the clip. Álvarez explains how this represents his approach to the entire film:

"As a fan of the franchise, I knew it needed to be gritty and grounded, so we built every creature for real."

That certainly sounds like he means the facehuggers and xenomorphs (and who knows what else) were brought to life with an emphasis on making them feel as tangible and real as possible. There's no getting around the fact that CGI is an important tool in the arsenal of most films these days, and one that's an art in and of itself. But there's no rule saying it can't also coexist alongside practical effects, combining to make a movie like "Romulus" as terrifying as it can be. 

"Alien: Romulus" hits theaters August 16, 2024.