'Alien: Romulus' reignites violence in the 'Alien' franchise

By Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - “Pacific Rim Uprising” actor Cailee Spaeny had to admit that things became bleak while filming the Disney movie “Alien: Romulus,” the latest installment in the popular “Alien” franchise, because characters were killed off regularly.

“Oh, it was always really sad when someone died, you know. Because we shot it chronologically. I think we were all getting really attached to each other,” Spaeny said.

“So, whenever a death came up, it sort of was a very emotional day,” added Spaeny, who plays the main protagonist named Rain Carradine.

“Alien: Romulus,” which arrives in U.S. theaters on August 16, is a standalone film that takes place between the events of the 1979 “Alien” movie and the 1986 “Aliens” film.

The science-fiction horror film follows a group of young scavengers who enter a derelict space station looking for valuables.

However, instead of finding anything profitable, they are hunted and attacked by vicious xenomorphs, which are the black antagonist aliens famously known within the “Alien” franchise.

Box Office Pro predicts that "Alien: Romulus" will have an opening of $35 million to $50 million.

"Romulus" director and writer Fede Alvarez was dedicated to making the aliens in the film look and feel as real as possible.

"When it comes to the xenomorph, when you have those face-to-face encounters, you know, there's just nothing that beats the practical," Alvarez said about making convincing extraterrestrials.

British actor Archie Renaux, who plays a scavenger named Tyler, also feels that having quality-made aliens in the film was vital.

“These animatronics are amazing. The teeth, and you can see the gums move and shatter," he said.

Fortunately, the cast wasn’t completely terrified by the alien animatronics and costumes, as the reality of filming a fictional movie was ever present.

"Eventually, you know, you're around them (cast members dressed as aliens) enough, you start seeing them drinking, like, a coffee," said Isabela Merced, who plays the scavenger Kay.

(Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan Oatis)