How Alien: Romulus’ title connects to Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic through myth and theme 

Since Ridley Scott brought the Alien franchise to life with his groundbreaking 1979 film, it has grown to become a hallmark of the sci-fi horror genre. The franchise has shaped themes such as corporate greed, body horror, and the terrifying loneliness of outer space. Fast-forward twenty-five years, and this saga keeps mutating, piling on new backstories.

The latest film in the franchise, Alien: Romulus (2024), emerged as a chapter of critical significance. It digs into what made the original so iconic. You’ll catch nods to Scott’s original all over, both in the story and the visuals.

In fact, even calling the film “Romulus” is a wink to the past. Filmmakers drew that name from Roman mythology, so you know it is oozing with meaning. Alien has always loved piling on the symbolism, layering its stories with allegories, and this one is no less.

Plus, the plot takes place in 2142, placing it between the events of the original Alien (2122) and Aliens (2179). So it’s not just another sequel. It stitches the whole franchise together and strengthens the lore.

Meanwhile, Ridley Scott is still very much involved in the franchise, now as producer. Fede Álvarez is behind the camera, clearly geeking out over the original while refusing to just play it safe. He keeps the skin-crawling vibe from 1979 alive while also venturing down some creepy, unexplored hallways (both metaphorically and probably literally).

So, what’s the deal with Alien: Romulus? We will be digging in, pulling apart how Álvarez and crew are weaving together old-school terror with new nightmares.

Disclaimer: The article contains the writer's opinions; reader discretion is advised.

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Alien: Romulus – Roman mythology symbolism and franchise themes explained

The title Romulus is a shoutout to the founder of Rome, Romulus. He, along with his brother Remus, was raised by a she-wolf. They went on to seize their destiny and establish the city.

Anyway, this legend isn’t just a random historical trivia thrown into the film for flavor. It’s actually kind of perfect: there is a gritty symbolism lurking underneath, echoing the Alien franchise’s obsession with raw survival instincts, sketchy partnerships that could implode any second, and almost-brotherly feuds that fracture under pressure.

Fans and commentators have had plenty of discussion about this twin-module setup in Alien: Romulus. The space station is split into two - Romulus and Remus. Now this is a direct allusion to the twins from Roman mythology. This architectural duality is not just some fancy design choice. It serves as a warning about sibling rivalry and division, reflecting the crew’s conflicts and the constant struggle to survive in a hostile, alien environment.

If you’ve seen the original Alien or any of the sequels, this should feel familiar: kinship, backstabbing, and the constant threat of getting wiped out.

The same can also be metaphorically applied to the xenomorph itself. The xenomorph isn’t just some monster; it can also be interpreted as nature’s twisted version of parenthood, just like the she-wolf of Roman legend who was both nurturer and predator. The alien is the same deal - it gives life and snatches it away, all in one package.

Ridley Scott keeps circling back to this cycle, like in the series Raised by Wolves, where he highlighted how we make stuff, we try to survive, but also destroy everything.

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Set between Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986): Understanding the Romulus timeline

Alien: Romulus drops us right into 2142, that’s twenty years after the first Alien, and nearly forty before Aliens. This date was picked on purpose, letting the story glue together those two classic movies while giving the whole franchise a little more breathing room.

The story follows a cohort of young colonists. They are barely holding it together, with the androids complicating their community and Weyland-Yutani’s greedy corporate ambitions. The storyline kicks off when they get sent to a creepy, abandoned station called Renaissance, which is split between twin modules called Romulus and Remus (like the myth).

They end up in the middle of a suffocating, paranoid nightmare that made the original Alien so iconic. It essentially features corporate goons lurking, androids with questionable programming, and nowhere to run.

Álvarez wasn’t shy about what he was going for here. He wanted a raw, stripped-down dread from Scott’s Alien, but also summoning the kinetic intensity from James Cameron’s Aliens. He was aiming to mash up both themes and still throw in some mysteries of his own. Fans can get many nods to the original movies, and somehow, it works as a tribute, a sequel, and a total reinterpretation all at once.

Álvarez told IGN:

“We went to crazy extents to make sure that things were in canon and we were not contradicting or messing [with], I would say, any of [the movies]. It's just something very special when you love certain movies and then a movie comes in and makes nods to them and you feel you're the only person in the theater who must be getting this reference. That's what it feels like. It's really tailor-made for you.”

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Ridley Scott’s role in Alien: Romulus – Ensuring franchise continuity and legacy

Ridley Scott was hovering over Álvarez’s shoulder the whole time: going through every draft, putting in detailed notes, and watching rough cuts of the film. He kept an eagle eye on everything, like pacing and whether the story actually made sense.

When Scott finally opened up about his reflections, there was reportedly a relief in his voice, suggesting that they had pulled this off. He was stoked about how Romulus turned out, and he made it sound like this movie has some real scope. It was not just another cookie-cutter Alien spin-off, but something that actually swings for the fences.

Speaking with Collider, Álvarez said:

“He was in the theater, and I wanted to see him right away… I really wanted to get his fresh reaction out of the film and what he felt. I went to see him, sat down, waited on the table, I had a notepad and a pen next to me just waiting just to hear whatever he had to say to write it down. I remember what his first reaction was: he walked in, and he said, 'What can I say? It’s f***ing great.' And then he said, 'You have a big movie here.'”

He further added:

“He really believed that the movie would do great. He told me, 'I think it just can do as well as Prometheus did.'”

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Thematic resonance: Androids, corporate exploitation, and survival horror

Romulus grabs Alien’s favorite themes and runs with them: androids you can’t trust, mega-corporations exploiting people, and humans getting ravaged by space monsters. Moreover, Andy the android is shifty, and you never really know which side he is on. He is like Ash in the first movie, but with his own twist. The theme of robots with questionable morals didn’t fade in this installment after all.

Meanwhile, Weyland-Yutani is still lurking in the background, pulling strings like the ultimate corporate puppetmaster. If unchecked greed had a mascot, it’d be their logo. In Romulus, the takeover of the station and the facehugger outbreak bring back the same intense terror first seen in the original 1979 Alien.

Ultimately, calling the film Romulus nails the interplay of myth and horror. You get twinship, survival instincts, backstabbing, and a nod to rebirth. It suggests that Alien isn’t just a monster flick; it also explores where things begin and where they end, the constant churn of life, death, and things that come after.

Also: What is the Xenomorph’s origin story? Breaking down Alien lore