A new trailer has been released for the anticipated follow-up in the Alien series, Alien: Romulus. Romulus marks the first installment in the franchise since 2017’s Alien: Covenant.

Coming from director Fede Álvarez, Alien; Romulus falls into the timeline between Alien and Aliens, and the trailer manages to keep an air of mystery regarding the story. The trailer shows the main crew roaming through their ship, wary of the creatures to be found around the corner, with the klaxon alarm from the first Alien trailer eerily setting the soundtrack. 

Álvarez also directed Don’t Breathe and wrote its follow up, Don’t Breathe 2. He also made the 2013 reimagining of another horror franchise mainstay, Evil Dead. 

When talking to Variety about the new film, Álvarez stated that he wanted the film to fit in with the rest of the Alien series, and made sure not to disrupt the flow of the films. 

He also stated that he consulted closely with Ridley Scott and James Cameron, director of Alien and Aliens, to make sure the film itself could live up to expectations. 

Álvarez also mentioned how he wanted to keep Romulus closer in tone to Scott’s Alien, and base it more within the horror genre. He said that he wanted to aim for the look and style of the 1979 classic, but also said, “don’t worry, 2023 will pour through every window. There’s no way to stop the modernity of filmmaking. And from that combination of the best of the classics and the best of today, then you have something new.” 

Alien: Romulus is expected to burst into theaters August 16th. Check out the trailer below: