Alien: Romulus is in theaters now, director Fede Alvarez’s new entry in the popular franchise hits the big screen. Set on an abandoned space station, the new sci-fi horror film follows a group of young space colonists on their mission. But as they start looting, they quickly realize there’s more to the station than meets the eye, as they come into contact with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn, Alien: Romulus is technically the seventh film in the Alien series. However, it’s not quite as simple as that might suggest. Rather than being a direct sequel or standalone film, the film actually sits between some of the most iconic installments in the saga.
But don’t worry if that sounds a bit confusing, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find out everything you need to know about when exactly it takes place on the Alien timeline. We also have guides on how to watch the Alien movies in order and which movies and TV shows you should watch before Alien: Romulus.
Before we continue, be warned that this article contains major spoilers for Alien: Romulus So make sure you see it first.
Where in the Alien timeline does Alien: Romulus take place?
Alien: Romulus takes place between the events of Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) and James Cameron’s Aliens (1986). In fact, it takes place exactly 20 years after Alien, which is 37 years before Aliens. If you’re looking for an exact date, that means it takes place in the year 2142. The entire film takes place within the space of one day, with no time jumps or implications.
The temporal implications mean that Ripley is still in hypersleep after the events on the Nostromo in Alien. As a reminder, after making it into an escape pod and defeating the Xenomorph, she falls into stasis for 57 years before being rescued by aliens at the beginning.
In Alien: Romulus, the group of space cadets head to an abandoned space station they see floating above them on the Jackson’s Star Mining Colony. Their plan is to find capsules there that will take them to a new life on Yvaga. When they make it there, however, they encounter an android named Science Officer Rook (a variant of Ash from Alien), who reveals what really happened on the Renaissance space station (which is split into two wings, Romulus and Remus).
They were tasked with finding the Xenomorph that Ripley shot into space at the end of Alien. According to Rook, this happened 1770 days earlier. The mission was part of Weyland-Yutani’s mission to create the “perfect organism” using the Xenomorph’s DNA to try to save humanity. This adds an intriguing twist to the plot of Aliens, because when Ripley is rescued, the employees who interview her at Weyland-Yutani are skeptical of her claims about alien eggs. Seems like the cover-up runs deep…
Director Alvaraz also spoke about the importance of establishing exactly where they are on the saga’s timeline in an interview with Den of Geek. “The technology in the world of Alien can change tremendously, but I think that doesn’t depend on the time, but on the place where you are,” the director explained. “So the characters of this film and the world are very grounded. The technology is still very low-tech and analog.”
Alien: Romulus is in theaters now – read our Alien: Romulus review. For more, check out our guide to explaining the Alien: Romulus ending, our analysis of the Alien: Romulus cameo, and an introduction to the connection between Alien: Romulus and Aliens.
