The first trailer for Alien: Romulus is here to wrap you in a chilling embrace of a horrifying face hug

It’s Xenomorphin' time

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Alien: Romulus' official trailer has erupted from its facehugger cocoon to emerge online – and I think it looks terrifyingly terrific.

Arriving almost three months afterAlien: Romulus' menacing first teaser, the forthcoming horror sci-fi movie looks like a a claustrophobic and frightening return to form for the Ridley Scott-created franchise. But hey, don’t just take my word for it, watch the newAlienfilm’s trailer below to see for yourself.

See what I mean? With its impressive, minimalist sound design, practical sets and effects, undeniably foreboding atmosphere, and how it honors what’s come before, it’s little wonder that observers are already suggesting thatAlien: Romuluswill be the franchise’s best entry since 1986’sAliens. No pressure, eh?

So, what’s one of 2024’s most anticipatednew moviesabout? 20th Century Studios and parent company Disney are still playing their cards close to their chest regarding its plot, but here’s a very brief story synopsis to tide you over until a more detailed one arrives: “While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”

You don’t need me to tell you what said fear-inducing organisms they’ll encounter, but I’m glad that we don’t actually see too much of theAlienfranchise’s legendary xenomorphs in the trailer. Less is more, in my view, so I hope a movie of this style and aesthetic, i.e. one that feels like an upgraded version of 1979’sAlien,heavily leans into the series' first entry.

There are plenty of new faces who are up for the xenomorph and facehugger-based chopping block in the film series' latest installment. Leading the movie’s talented cast is Cailee Spaeny, who viewers might recognize from last year’sPriscilla(out now onMaxin the US) and recent Alex Garland-directed war dramaCivil War. Archie Renaux, who played a major supporting role in cancelledNetflixfantasy showShadow and Bone, is also set for a starring role inRomulus. The aforementioned duo are joined by Isabela Merced (The Last of Usseason 2,Madame Web), Spike Fearn (Aftersun), David Jonsson (Rye Lane), and Aileen Wu in her first major role.

Need a hug? New trailer tomorrow. #AlienRomulus pic.twitter.com/rsGWyXYGDgJune 3, 2024

The talent assembled for Alien: Romulus is just as stacked behind the camera, too. Fede Alvarez, who had helmed popular, suspense-riddled horror and/or thriller flicks, includingDon’t Breathe,Evil Dead, andThe Girl in the Spider’s Web, had directed and co-penned the franchise’s seventh big-screen installment. The filmmaker’s frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues co-wrote the script, while Ridley Scott is unsurprisingly on board as one of the movie’s many executive producers.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

Alien: Romuluswill debut exclusively in theaters on August 16. In the meantime, you can watch the other sixAlienmovies onDisney Plusright now, and then see where each Scott-directed installment placed on ourbest Ridley Scott movieslist.

You might also like

As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

England vs Australia live stream: how to watch 2024 rugby union Autumn International online from anywhere, team news

Australian Beach Volleyball Tour live stream: How to watch bronze and gold medal matches online for free, finals, start time

Samsung plans record-breaking 400-layer NAND chip that could be key to breaking 200TB barrier for ultra large capacity AI hyperscaler SSDs