When Is ‘Alien: Romulus’ Set in the Franchise Timeline?

“Alien: Romulus” is here.

The latest installment in the franchise that began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece and has now encompassed spin-offs, prequels and sequels, stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson and Isabela Merced, as a group of young people who are looking to get off their backwater planet by any means necessary. Of course, their scheme to find a better life results in them discovering something much, much worse.

But when does the film take place in the franchise’s increasingly knotty timeline? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the “Alien: Romulus” timeline but, beware of spoilers and, you know, terrifying space beasts with acid for blood.

When is “Alien: Romulus” set?

“Alien: Romulus” is set between the first “Alien” (which took place in 2122) and “Aliens (which took place in 2183). A lot happened in between those two movies, including the company’s rebranding to Weyland-Yutani and the events of the beloved videogame “Alien: Isolation.”

How can you tell?

There are a number of giveaways, starting with the movie’s opening sequence, which shows the company retrieving a fossilized Xenomorph in a meteor (this turns out to be the monster from the original movie). But there’s also the derelict space station Renaissance, where they travel to get supplies to fuel (literally) their long journey away from their hellish planet.

The space station is split into two halves – Remus and Romulus. The Remus modular is less advanced and more science-focused, while Romulus is more militarized. And the look of each half coincides with one of the earlier movies, with Remus feeling very “Alien” and Romulus heavily indebted to “Aliens.” The music even changes; Remus has dreamier, more Jerry Goldsmith vibes while Romulus is more akin to the pulse-pounding score of James Horner.

Does anything else connect to the first two movies?

There is Rook, an android that looks exactly like Ian Holm’s Ash from “Alien.” He is portrayed by British actor Daniel Betts, with a vocal performance based on Holm and some deep fake-adjacent technology being utilized to bring him to life. Also the MU/TH/UR 9000 computer from “Alien” is being used in the space station, which, you know, isn’t the best sign .

Does “Alien: Romulus” connect with other movies in the “Alien” franchise?

In fact, in some way, shape or form, it connects to all of the other movies in the “Alien” franchise. The opening 20th Century logo includes a held, ominous note, which is borrowed from the opening of “Alien 3,” and “Alien: Romulus” climaxes with a horrifying mutant child that is straight out of “Alien Resurrection.” (Those who think that this ending is so wild, had they watched “Alien Resurrection?”) But, strangely, the movie also directly connects to Ridley Scott’s prequel “Prometheus” (which took place in 2093) and “Alien: Covenant” (which takes place in 2104).

How does it connect to “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant?”

At one point Rook sends our heroes to retrieve a vial of mysterious black goo – the same black goo, he acknowledges, that Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) was searching for on the doomed Prometheus mission. Rook describes the goo as having medicinal, even miraculous properties, but we know better. Stay away from that goo! (Imagine if the android they’d discovered wasn’t Rook but rather David, played by Michael Fassbender.)

Odd!

Sure, but those of us who love “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” and who were saddened by the seeming cancelation of Scott’s third film in the trilogy, welcome any and all continuation of the black goo-centered story.

“Alien: Romulus” is in theaters now.

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