Alien: Romulus' trailer proves this movie is more than a bite of nostalgia

The first trailer for Fede Álvarez' Alien: Romulus is finally here, and it doesn't disappoint. The team has been quietly creating this year's new Alien movie, due 16 August, with one eye on returning the franchise to its handmade, slow-burn horror roots.

The director behind horror hits Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead isn't averse to turning on the VFX when needed, but also he's placed physicality and eking out tension from tight spaces high on the list of things that tick in his movies… ideal then, for an Alien movie designed around claustrophobic terror.

Alien: Romulus, one of the best upcoming VFX movies, isn't a reboot or reimagining, but a direct sequel to Alien, taking place 20 years after the original, and a precursor to Aliens. The pitch follows a crew of young colonisers exploring a derelict space station, until something nasty happens.

Tellingly, the VFX in Alien Romulus feels close to that of the original two films, and there's a reason. Álvarez revealed he used some of the same artists that made the original Alien and Aliens for his movie.

He told Variety: "Everybody’s really important, from the VFX supervisor of Aliens and the guys that make the miniatures, and we hired a lot of them to work on the movie. Otherwise, it’s hard to nail the style and the look and the vibe of a film like I wanted. That was the biggest pleasure of making this movie, to be able to do that whole process."

He added: "I wanted to travel back not just to the style of the original movies, but to the genre of the original movies. I really wanted to go back to the sheer horror of the first film, and to take those elements of thriller that Aliens has, and Alien 3 has as well. We went to crazy extents to keep it pure to the film-making techniques of the first movie."

Alien Romulus has been one of Hollywood's best kept secrets, up until now. We've known for a while now that Ridley Scott has given director Fede Alvarez the seal of approval, but now we can all see for ourselves what the fuss is about. Want more? See Fede Alvarez's teaser for the teaser, which hides a creepy hidden image.

If you're a Ridley Scott fan, read my feature on the VFX behind Napoleon, and if you're a sci-fi lover, read our feature on how the visuals were made for The Creator.