[a] Months later, at the rundown Jackson's Star colony on the perpetually dark planet LV-410, orphaned colonist Rain Carradine discovers that Weyland-Yutani has forcibly extended her work contract.

Bjorn taunts Andy with the fact that Yvaga III does not allow androids, meaning he will have to remain behind, leaving Rain guilt-ridden.

Tyler and Bjorn attempt to retrieve cryostasis fuel but unintentionally trigger a lockdown and release dozens of facehugger parasites.

In desperation, Rain upgrades Andy's security access with a control chip from the station's damaged science officer android, Rook.

While the infant xenomorph rapidly gestates into its adult form, Bjorn injures it with a stun baton and is sprayed with its blood, which kills him.

Rain and Tyler attempt to rescue her, but Andy suspects the xenomorph is using her as bait, and refuses to open the door separating them.

Rook instructs Andy to retrieve Z-01, a potent fluid harvested from the facehuggers that can rapidly rewrite and adapt DNA.

[12] To portray the Offspring, Bobroczkyi wore full body prosthetic makeup created by Legacy Effects, with the exception of the creature's tail which was CGI.

[19] Álvarez stuck as close as possible to the established canon of the film series and used the fan wiki Xenopedia as a reference point while writing the story.

Álvarez confirmed the connections to Prometheus and stated that the hybrid's resemblance to the Engineers was intentional; this was done to bridge the gap between the prequels and the original films.

[28] The pregnancy of character Kay was inspired by Dina from The Last of Us Part II (2020) due to Álvarez playing the game while writing the film.

[34] Principal photography took place in Budapest from March 9 to July 3, 2023,[36][37][38] utilizing unique locations including a working power plant for the Jackson's Star mining colony.

[35] Production designer Naaman Marshall aimed to reinterpret the Alien world while honoring the franchise's legacy, particularly the first two films in the series.

[35] Filming of miniatures took place in Los Angeles to facilitate the required stage space, crew members and amenities.

[53] The composition "Entry of the Gods into Valhalla" from Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold, which was heavily featured in Alien: Covenant, is also heard.

[56][57] After early reviews found the third act to be divisive, Disney promptly created digital ads to generate buzz by urging audiences to watch the movie before hearing spoilers about the ending.

Cinema partnerships offered customized food, beverage items, and life-size xenomorph statues, which were widely shared on social media.

The campaign also extended across Disney's platforms, with takeovers on ESPN SportsCenter, Alien marathons on FX, and prominent placement on Hulu and Disney+.

Promotional tie-ins included limited edition Reebok x Aliens shoes, Alien-themed beer from Angel City Brewery, and cosmetics from Phoenix Rising.

Additionally, the franchise offered consumer products and hosted a partnership with the video game Dead by Daylight, which featured a new character tied to the film's release.

Marketing efforts capitalized on the franchise's legacy, according to Deadline Hollywood, with 52% of audiences polled by Screen Engine and Comscore PostTrak citing their love for the series as the main reason for watching the movie on opening weekend.

[63] Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, calculated that Alien: Romulus was watched for 325 million minutes from November 18—24, 2024.

[79][80][81][82] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that critics praised the film's "striking visuals and claustrophobic terror with gory action and a formidable lead performance from Cailee Spaeny", calling it "arguably the best installment since Aliens".

Its critics consensus reads: "Honoring its nightmarish predecessors while chestbursting at the seams with new frights of its own, Romulus injects some fresh acid blood into one of cinema's great horror franchises.

[58] Jordan Hoffman of Entertainment Weekly praised the film's direction, design, and writing, calling it "impressive, however, especially in how it looks like a new movie but is simpatico with the tech of the 1979 original" and deemed Spaeny "the finest weapon in the arsenal... differentiating herself quite a bit from the doe-eyed characters she played in Civil War and Priscilla.

He further wrote that "Spaeny, with her clear eyes and serene resolve, makes her presence felt as Rain, the closest equivalent here to the fearless Ripley.

High on jolts [...] and low on more probing scares, Romulus isn't nearly inventive enough to forefront its slaughter at the expense of its soul.

He went on to compare the film's studio to the franchise's villainous Weyland-Yutani corporation, in that it's "a massive conglomerate that puts profit ahead of respect for human lives".

"[88] The visual effects used to recreate Holm, which were incomplete for the theatrical release due to time constraints in post-production, were updated and fixed for the home video release with Álvarez saying “I convinced the studio we need to spend the money and make sure we give the companies that were involved in making it the proper time to finish it and do it right.

[116] The one-shot explores the events that unfolded on the space station Renaissance, providing context for the alien encounter faced by Rain, Andy, and their crew aboard the deteriorated spacecraft.