Aliens in Romulus Are All Practical Effects, Fede Alvarez Reveals

Fede Alvarez, the visionary director of the highly anticipated Alien: Romulus, has taken a unique approach to filming. Shunning the common use of CGI, Alvarez has chosen to shoot the film almost entirely using practical effects, a decision that speaks volumes about his dedication to authenticity.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Alvarez said he is obsessed with “no green screens” and wanted to use practical effects for every creature and set. This way, everyone was living and breathing in the world created for the film.

Although he denied being against computer-generated imagery, the director stressed that “nothing beats the real thing” when shooting a scene where the humans and creatures come face to face.

The first trailer for Alien: Romulus dropped last week and showed that the film is returning to its sci-fi horror roots once more.

Showing respect for the original Alien films, Alvarez brought the original practical effects team from Aliens to work on Romulus. This decision was a nod to the franchise's roots and a testament to his understanding of its essence.

Alvarez also revealed that the scene in Aliens showing children riding a big wheel throughout a human colony inspired his take on the franchise. Although this scene did not make it to the theatrical cut, director James Cameron added it back in the Special Edition version of the third movie.

Alvarez, who directed the suspense film Don’t Breathe, told THR that he had watched the Special Edition and became enamored of that scene. He said he became interested in telling stories within the universe in the eyes of those children who grew up to be in their early 20s.

The result is a film that takes place between the first two movies and stars predominantly young thespians like Cailee Spaeny and Isabela Merced.

Although the formula of the entire franchise revolves around space explorers encountering an unknown and decidedly hostile life form, Alvarez said casting younger actors in this film changes the dynamics of that clash.

“[K]ids that age approach problems in a completely different way than adults and professional adults do,” he explained.

Alien: Romulus comes out to theaters on August 16 this year.