Alien: Romulus gave an incredible jolt of energy to the Alien franchise, but the film’s upcoming sequel will need to avoid doing what James Cameron did when following up on Alien. Every Alien movie has seemed to find a different idenтιтy throughout the run of the franchise, with movies like Alien vs. Predator feeling worlds apart from Alien: Covenant.

This diversity in tone is not a bad thing. Many still believe that Prometheus is the best modern Alien movie, and for good reason. The movie took a unique approach to the cosmology of the Alien world under the direction of Ridley Scott, crafting something much bigger and stranger from the lore up to that point.

While in many cases the Alien movie timeline is important, in other cases it is less of a focus. The myth and history of this world are a necessary part of informing the franchise, but there are a number of details that came out of the most recent film, Alien: Romulus, that should be given a much larger slice of attention in future installments.

Aliens Leaned Into Action Over Horror After Ridley Scott’s Original

James Cameron Brought In His Distinct Science Fiction Style

Aliens immediately changed the franchise when it was released in 1986. Rather than continuing the focus on small, тιԍнт spaces and a creeping sense of horror, the James Cameron movie brought in his hallmarks of military fighters to take on the threat. To match this scale, the movie increased the number of Xenomorphs, transforming the sequel into an action-heavy event.

While the director was certainly adept at horror, having previously made The Terminator and Piranah II: The Spawning, which Cameron disowned, science-fiction action was always his driving pᴀssion. He brought back Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and played off of her action prowess from the end of the first film, transforming her into a hero.

Cameron made sense as a hire at the time, having built a horror background. However, much of the skill, control, and technical proficiency that would come to be notable parts of his future films was clearly seen in his work on Aliens. He took the first film and expanded the world and the scope in surprising ways.

This worked incredibly well. The film increased on the domestic grosses of its predecessor, and many still consider it to be one of the best sequels of all time. Cameron would later prove himself to be a master of the sequel form, putting together Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and the much more recent Avatar: The Way of Water.

However, not every filmmaker is James Cameron. While Fede Álvarez has proven himself to be a strong director, he is distinct from Cameron in style, method, and outlook. With that in mind, the upcoming Romulus sequel will need to play to its strengths and not follow the pattern that Cameron set in the 1980s.

Alien: Romulus’ Sequel Needs To Keep Its Horror Roots

The Next Alien Film Should Not Stray Too Far From What Worked

The sequel to Alien: Romulus needs to be a horror movie. Romulus leaned heavily into horror, and that worked well for the film, especially with Álvarez, who is best known for his work on films like Don’t Breathe and The Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ remake, directing. Álvarez has proven himself adept at crafting tense horror.

The pivot back to horror in Romulus felt fresh for the series and needs to be followed up on. Following the example of the prior films would be a mistake. Rain and Andy are compelling characters, and they can certainly handle some threats, but they are not action heroes. Treating them otherwise in the sequel would be to its detriment.

There is room for other Alien projects to explore other sides of the world. Alien: Earth has shown off terrifying creatures and their implications on the universe, which could help make the upcoming series a more story-focused installment. With talk of another Alien and Predator crossover, there are plenty of other places to explore other genres and lore.

Romulus worked because it was a small horror movie. The film had the whole universe of Alien as a backdrop, but it used these details to craft a claustrophobic thriller. Romulus‘ most terrifying scenes, including those with the Offspring, were built around tense horror rather than violent action, and the sequel should be aware of why that worked.

Switching the genre in a sequel rarely makes sense, and rarely works, as was seen in the box office performance of M3GAN 2.0. With Álvarez returning, the upcoming sequel should play to the director’s strengths. His action film, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, was his weakest project yet, and attempting to replicate Aliens’ success would be a misstep.

A sequel to Alien: Romulus is among the most exciting projects in the future of the Alien universe. The last film was such a pleasant surprise, and gave a fresh and modern look at the world of Alien with a tone that harkened back to the original. Hopefully, a sequel to Alien: Romulus is able to match that film’s success.