Alien: Romulus is a 2024 American science fiction horror film directed by Fede Álvarez and written by Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues. Produced by Scott Free Productions and Brandywine Productions, it is part of the Alien franchise, set between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). The film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. It follows three pairs of siblings,[4][5][6] all downtrodden young space colonists, who encounter hostile creatures while scavenging a derelict space station.

In 2142, a Weyland-Yutani space probe investigates the wreckage of the USCSS Nostromo which was destroyed two decades prior. The probe collects a large cocoon and departs for a secret research space station. Upon arrival, masked scientists open the cocoon, revealing the xenomorph.

Months later at the colony Jackson’s Star on LV-410, Rain Carradine works and lives with her adoptive brother Andy, a malfunctioning android reprogrammed by Rain’s late father. After her original work contract is forcibly extended by Weyland-Yutani, Rain’s ex-boyfriend Tyler persuades her to join an expedition with his pregnant sister Kay, their cousin Bjorn (the father of Kay’s baby),[8] and Bjorn’s adoptive sister Navarro[9][10][11] to a derelict spacecraft to retrieve cryostasis chambers that will allow them to escape to the planet Yvaga. Andy’s ability to interface with the onboard computer system is crucial for the expedition, but Rain is hesitant to take him along until she is convinced by Tyler and Andy to allow him to assist. They fly the hauler Corbelan to the spacecraft, which is revealed to be the Renaissance—a Weyland-Yutani research station divided into parts Romulus and Remus, a reference to the Roman legend.

While retrieving cryogenic fuel for the stasis chambers, Tyler, Bjorn, and Andy accidentally disable the temperature control keeping cloned facehuggers inert, triggering a lockdown and unleashing them.[12] To override the lockdown, Rain installs a chip from a damaged android, Rook, into Andy, granting him access to the station while also updating his software. This also changes his “prime directive”, making him loyal solely to Weyland-Yutani.

As the group flees the chamber, a facehugger latches onto Navarro. Rain reactivates Rook, who discloses that the xenomorph captured by the station killed the station’s crew. Although Tyler removes the facehugger, Rook warns it may have already implanted its “seed”. Despite Andy’s attempts to stop him, a disgruntled Bjorn flees with Navarro and Kay on the Corbelan. A chestburster emerges from Navarro, killing her. The Corbelan crashes into the Romulus hangar, jeopardizing the station’s orbit and leaving less than an hour before it collides with Jackson’s planetary rings. Kay is knocked unconscious from the impact, and the chestburster escapes. Kay regains consciousness and runs into Bjorn, who discovers the chestburster gestating into its adult form and attacks it with a stun baton. The xenomorph stabs Bjorn in the eye with its tail, killing him with its acidic blood.