Ridley Scott鈥檚 鈥淎lien鈥� Friday for its 45th anniversary and to get audiences excited about the new installment .
The Alien franchise has sunk its teeth into different genres over the years, but for 鈥淎lien: Romulus,鈥� filmmaker Fede 脕lvarez wanted to take it back to its roots: Horror.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a return to form,鈥� 脕lvarez told The Associated Press. 鈥淎t its core, at its heart, it鈥檚 a horror thriller.鈥�
The original two films were formative for 脕lvarez, known for the 2013 鈥淓vil Dead鈥� reboot and the 2016 horror 鈥淒on鈥檛 Breathe.鈥� He recalled a 鈥減rimal memory鈥� of watching them on VHS and feeling like he was watching an R-rated Star Wars.
鈥淚t was a world that felt familiar, that I thought I knew, but it was going into way more adult and scary places,鈥� he said.
Though he was a bit too young to see 鈥淎lien鈥� in its first run, he got a peek at the new print coming to theaters and said it looks 鈥渋ncredible.鈥� Showings will also include a conversation between Alvarez and Scott.
The new film (opening Aug. 16) is set around the time of 鈥淎lien鈥� and 鈥淎liens,鈥� focusing on a group of 20-somethings, including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson and Isabela Merced, looking to escape their dull lives in a mining colony. But of course, it comes with some complications from that terrifying creature who likes to lurk in the corners.
He enlisted a lot of the behind-the-scenes creatives and concept artists who worked on the Scott and James Cameron films to help get the look right. Sometimes, they were excited to use new technologies that weren鈥檛 available in the 1970s and 80s. And other times, they realized the old school way is still the best way. Case in point: 脕lvarez said a big question was how they were going to get the set to melt when it鈥檚 hit with the alien鈥檚 blood.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not an easy CG thing to create,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's like it has to be practical.鈥�
Luckily, special effects expert and creature creator Alec Gillis was there to help.
鈥淗e was like, 鈥業鈥檝e done it many times. I鈥檒l show you how,鈥欌�� 脕lvarez said.
His secret? Styrofoam and acetone.
Scott has seen 鈥淎lien: Romulus,鈥� by the way, and has given it his blessing.
鈥淗e was the first person to see it, out of my circle. As soon as it was ready I showed it to him,鈥� 脕lvarez said. 鈥淗e walked in the room and said, 鈥榳hat can I say? Fede, it鈥檚 (expletive) great.鈥� It was the best day of my life.鈥�
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
