The highly anticipated sequel to Alien: Romulus might have found a director who is no stranger to sci-fi horror. The 2024 film was a strong return to form for the Alien franchise, grossing $350 million worldwide and receiving an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was no surprise that a sequel would be announced, but many were shocked when Romulus director Fede Álvarez revealed he would not be returning to helm the next entry.
Nexus Point News reports that director Michael Sarnoski is being eyed to direct the Alien: Romulus sequel. No official word has been made by Sarnoski or 20th Century Studios. His directorial feature debut, Pig, starring Nicolas Cage, received rave reviews from critics. Sarnoski followed up the emotional drama with A Quiet Place: Day One, the prequel to the acclaimed sci-fi horror franchise. Day One opened in theaters on Jun. 28, 2024, and grossed $262 million worldwide. Sarnoski’s next film, The Death of Robin Hood, is scheduled to open in theaters on Jun. 19, 2026.
Fans might be disappointed that Álvarez is not returning to direct the Alien: Romulus follow-up, but it keeps with the franchise’s earlier tradition of each new entry being directed by a different filmmaker until Ridley Scott returned for Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Álvarez himself has made a name for himself working under a horror franchise, rebooting Evil Dead in 2013, as well as making the original thriller Don’t Breathe. It makes sense that 20th Century Studios is looking for a director with a similar horror background, and Sarnoski fits the bill.
One wrinkle to Sarnoski signing on for a new Alien film would be Death Standing. Sarnoski signed on as writer and director of the adaptation of the popular video game in 2025. Death Standing creator Hideo Kojima has said the movie is aiming for a 2027 release date. Death Standing will be a live-action film, so Sarnoski will have his hands full for the foreseeable future if it begins production before the end of the year. And this is discounting the fact he is also releasing his upcoming A24 film The Death of Robin Hood during the summer.
If Sarnoski intends to direct Death Standing for a 2027 release date, then the Alien: Romulus sequel might not be released until 2028 at the earliest. Coincidently, that might be beneficial to 20th Century Studios and 20th Century Television, as filming for Alien: Earth Season 2 is expected to begin in summer 2026. This likely means that Season 2 will likely air in 2027. With Alien: Romulus debuting in 2024 and Alien: Earth Season 1 following nearly a year to the date in August 2025, that suggests the franchise does not want two Alien entries competing with one another. That would give Sarnoski time to direct Death Standing and then move into production on his Alien film, which could aim for a 2028 release date or possibly 2029, aligning with the 50th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s Alien.
- Release Date
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August 16, 2024
- Runtime
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119 Minutes
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
