We recently learned that 20th Century Studios and Hulu are developing a new Alien movie with Fede Alvarez (Don't Breathe; Evil Dead) on board to write and direct, and we may now have an idea of when and where the project will enter production.
According to a listing on ProductionList.com, Alien: Romulus is scheduled to begin filming on February 6, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
"Romulus" appears to be the film's working title, but several sources believe it will stick. The title could refer to the legendary founder and first king of Rome.
Details are few and far between, but up-and-coming Mare of Easttown actress Cailee Spaeny (The Craft: Legacy; Pacific Rim: Uprising) is set to play the lead role. There has been some speculation that she might be playing an older take on Newt from James Cameron's Aliens, but that seems unlikely.
While there is always a chance this film will be connected to the previous instalments in the franchise, it is being described as a reboot. Whatever the case may be, it's probably safe to assume that it won't continue the divisive plot lines that played out in Ridley Scott's Prometheus and Alien: Covenant - although Scott will produce under his Scott Free banner.
Apparently, the legendary filmmaker was intrigued by an idea Alvarez pitched him on a few years ago, and called him out of the blue last year to see if he had any interest in developing it.
Hulu is also working on an Alien TV series with Noah Hawley (Fargo; Legion) that's expected to premiere at some point over the next two years. Whether both projects will be linked in any way remains to be seen.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.