Following the departure of Fede Alvarez, there’s a new rumour that A Quiet Place: Day One director Michael Sarnoski will replace him on Alien: Romulus 2.
Following Alien: Romulus’s $300m box office success in 2024, it appeared to be all systems go for a sequel. Director Fede Alvarez was talking positively about returning as co-writer and director, and at one stage, there were reports that the horror follow-up was going to begin filming in October 2025.
Then things stalled. Alvarez started talking about passing over torches, and with that, he was out. So with Alien: Romulus 2 seemingly in limbo, there’s been the question of who will replace him.
According to Nexus Point News, it’s going to be Michael Sarnoski, an indie filmmaker who broke through with the terrific drama-thriller, Pig, starring Nicolas Cage.
After that, Sarnorski moved to a bigger canvas (and a bigger budget) with the sci-fi horror sequel A Quiet Place: Day One, which showcased his ability to stage suspenseful action sequences filled with special effects. It’s almost certainly that film that endeared Sarnorski to 20th Century Studios.
Assuming the rumour is true, of course. Sarnoski is currently working on The Death Of Robin Hood, a historical thriller piece starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer. It’s due out this June, so if there’s substance to the report, Sarnoski may get going on Alien: Romulus 2 in the second half of this year. (Though there is the small matter of a previously-announced Death Stranding movie for A24, which Sarnoski is said to be writing and directing.)
There have been other rumours about why Alvarez left a sequel he initially seemed quite enthusiastic about. One story is that he clashed with producer Ridley Scott over the character David (Michael Fassbender), whom Alvarez wanted to write into Alien: Romulus 2. Scott, the rumour goes, was protective about David and wanted to keep him back in case he ever got to make a sequel to Alien Covenant.
We may never know whether any of that’s true or not. But we can say for certainty that the Alien franchise is in good health at present, with Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth series being positively received and Alien: Romulus, despite some accusations of fan-baiting nostalgia, bringing in better-than-expected ticket sales in cinemas.
Alvarez and his writing partner Rodo Sayagues have already written a script, which Alvarez has said will take the franchise in a different direction from its predecessor, set between the events of Alien and Alien. Will Sarnoski be the one to make it? We’ll have to wait and see.