The iconic science fiction horror franchise is set to continue after Alien: Romulus. The 2024 movie was directed by Fede Álvarez and stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. Taking place between the original Alien and its 1986 sequel Aliens, the movie further expanded the universe of the franchise, which features a variety of installments that are primarily linked by the presence of the monstrous alien known as the Xenomorph as well as the duplicitous Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

In addition to the seven Alien movies that have been made since the franchise kicked off with Ridley Scott’s original 1979 classic, a total that includes two movies in the prequel timeline that began with 2012’s Prometheus, the franchise includes two crossover movies with the Predator franchise, bringing the grand total of features to nine. Outside of movies, over the years, the franchise has expanded to also include novels, comic books, video games, a web series, a collection of short films, and more. The future of the franchise also looks bright, with at least one confirmed project on the way.

Alien: Earth (TV Show)

Coming To FX On Hulu

The upcoming Alien: Earth will most likely become the first installment in the franchise to follow Romulus to screens. The show – which was created for FX on Hulu by Noah Hawley and does not have an official premiere date at the time of writing – will present a franchise first by bringing the universe to the small screen. The ensemble cast of the series, which will be set on Earth 30 years before the events of the original Alien, includes Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Adrian Edmondson, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, David Rysdahl, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, and Timothy Olyphant.

One of Timothy Olyphant’s best-known roles is playing Raylan Givens in the neo-Western series Justified , which aired on FX for six seasons between 2010 and 2015.

It remains to be seen if the big-budget, effects-heavy show becomes a hit at the level required for it to be renewed for further seasons. However, it is not intended to be a miniseries, so the option is available for more seasons to come should that be the case. In fact, Hawley said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he could see himself working on the show for “the next 10 years of my life.” This means that, though Alien: Earth is the only officially confirmed new installment in the franchise, it could involve years of future episodes.

Is Alien: Romulus 2 Happening?

Alien: Romulus Is A Box Office Success

So far, there is no official word as to whether there will be a future big screen sequel in the franchise. However, the Alien: Romulus box office would seem to show that such a possibility is a near inevitability. The movie, which cost a relatively modest $80 million, has already grossed more than $100 million worldwide, before the end of its first week in theaters. It is likely to become the second highest-grossing movie in the franchise behind Prometheus. Below, see a breakdown of the budgets and box office hauls of the entire core franchise, not including the Predator crossovers:

Title
Budget
Worldwide Box Office

Alien (1979)
$11 million
$184.7 million

Aliens (1986)
$18.5 million
$183.3 million

Alien 3 (1992)
~60 million
$159.8 million

Alien Resurrection (1997)
$70 million
$161.4 million

Prometheus (2012)
~$130 million
$403.3 million

Alien: Covenant (2017)
~$100 million
$240.9 million

Alien: Romulus (2024)
$80 million
TBD (currently $118 million+)

Because a theatrical release’s break-even point is usually somewhere between two and two-and-a-half times its production budget, the 2024 movie likely needs to earn roughly $200 million in order to turn a profit. However, it is well on its way toward passing that milestone with ease, so a follow-up seems entirely within the realm of possibility, especially given the fact that the Alien: Romulus ending left several questions unanswered. Álvarez has also teased to The Hollywood Reporter that “we definitely have ideas about where it should go.”

Alien vs. Predator 3 Has Been Teased

The Previous Installment Premiered In 2007

Although the AvP crossover franchise petered out after installments were released in 2004 and 2007, the possible Alien vs. Predator 3 has received several recent teases. This includes a quote from Álvarez, who told Deadline that he would not necessarily be opposed to co-directing a new installment “if people want to see that” after Romulus. The fact that both franchises are 20th Century Studios properties makes the continued crossover an eminent possibility.

Although 2004’s Alien vs. Predator and 2007’s Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem were box office successes, both were critically panned, earning 22% and 12% on Rotten Tomatoes respectively.

The possibility of another crossover has also seemed more robust in recent years given the fact that both franchises have had critical and commercial successes in the 2020s. In addition to Alien: Romulus, the Predator franchise has had success with 2022’s Prey, which is being followed by the upcoming standalone entry Badlands. Given the fact that 20th Century Studios owner Disney has had success with their Marvel interconnected universe, they may consider pursuing the third Alien vs. Predator movie before too long.