Fede Alvarez Steps Back From Directing ‘Alien: Romulus’ Sequel, Seeks New Director

After reviving the Alien franchise with the successful Alien: Romulus, director Fede Alvarez has revealed that he will not be directing the sequel. Instead, he is in search of a new director to take over the reins while he and Ridley Scott produce the film. The sequel’s script, written by Alvarez and Romulus co-writer Rodo Sayagues, is complete, and a new filmmaker is now being sought to helm the project.

– Fede Alvarez, who revived the Alien franchise with the successful film Alien: Romulus, has completed the script for its sequel but will not be directing it; he is currently seeking a new director.
– Alvarez co-wrote the sequel with Rodo Sayagues and is set to produce it alongside Ridley Scott. He believes in giving substantial time between sequels to build audience anticipation.
– Both the Alien and Predator franchises have seen a revival with successful film and TV adaptations, including Romulus, Alien: Earth, and Predator: Badlands.

Last year, Fede Alvarez revitalized the Alien franchise with the notable release of Alien: Romulus which earned a global box office of $350 million. The success swifted 20th Century Studios to immediately start working on a sequel, with Alvarez expected to be the writer and potential director.

Recently, however, Alvarez has announced that he will not be directing the sequel. Instead, he is currently seeking a new director to take the lead on the franchise which stars Cailee Spaeny.

“We have just finalized the script for the Romulus sequel. But I will be passing on the directorial responsibilities this time,” he explained to TooFab at the Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios. He plans to co-produce the film with Ridley Scott, expressing, “We are currently on the lookout for a new filmmaker to step in.”

Alvarez has co-written the sequel script with Romulus co-writer Rodo Sayagues.

When the original film came out, Alvarez shared with The Hollywood Reporter that the team had already conceived the sequel ideas. The movie concluded with the last two lead characters journeying to Yvaga.

He stated at that time, “My belief is that sequels should never be made in the span of two years. You need a break. The audience also needs to truly want it. For instance, Alien and Aliens were released seven years apart. But we certainly have plans for where we want the sequel to go.”

Recently, both the Alien franchise and its sister franchise Predator have seen a resurgence of interest. This renewed popularity is largely attributed to the release of Romulus and the FX series Alien: Earth. In addition, Predator movies such as Prey and the soon to be released Predator: Badlands, starring Elle Fanning and premiering on November 7, have also contributed to the franchises’ newfound attention.