Summary
The trailer forAlien: Romuluspromises that the newAlienmovie will reinvent the franchise’s ironic chestburster scene, although it is not yet clear how. Throughoutall theAlienmovies, one constant has been present. The franchise’s titular Xenomorph has a uniquely upsetting way of entering the world, namely through the chest cavity of a living human. After a facehugger impregnates a human host via the mouth, a baby Xenomorph bursts free from their ribcage while the terrified victim can only look on in horror. By the looks of things,the upcomingAlien: Romuluswill revive this tradition.
The first trailer forAlien: Romulusfeatures many clues to the plot of director Fede Alvarez’s much-anticipated reboot. There are glimpses of the planet that the movie’s young heroes depart from and cryptic comments about how their mission is one of their only chances to escape this dystopian world. There are some zero-gravity sequences and trippy shots of asteroids that implyAlien: Romuluswill explore the perils of space travel that have nothing to do with aliens. Then there’s the nod toAlien’s disturbing chestburster scene, an infamous moment that is referenced in one character’s grisly fate from the trailer.
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Alien: Romulus Is Setting Up Its Own Version Of Alien’s Iconic Chestbuster Scene
Alien: Romulus’s New Chestburster Involves A Glowing Xenomorph
Around the 0:46 mark, theAlien: Romulustrailer features what looks like a brutal chestburster death scene. There are a few significant differences between this moment and the franchise’s first death by Xenomorph. For one thing, John Hurt’s Kane was surrounded by his shipmates in a busy dining area when he died. In contrast, Aileen Wu’s Navarro seems to be in sleeping quarters with only one other character. Another change is the way Navarro discovers her chestburster’s impending arrival. Her ribcage appears to glow, offering her and her roommate a disturbing glimpse of the monster before it emerges.
Judging from the trailer alone, it is tough to tell whether the Xenomorph itself is glowing or if the futuristic medical device that Navarro uses is illuminating her ribcage.Ridley Scott’sAlienprequelsPrometheusandAlien: Covenantfeatured Neomorphs that altered the Xenomorph’s original design, andAlien: Resurrectionincluded the infamously bizarre-looking Newborn Alien. As such,it is possible thatAlien: Romulusmay introduce a new glowing Xenomorphto the franchise’s growing number of monsters. However, it might be more likely that Navarro’s device accounts for the gruesome sight of her chest lighting up before the alien emerges.
What Is Going On With Alien: Romulus’ Body Glowing Xenomorph Attack?
Alien: Romulus’ Twist Could Signal A New Form of Xenomorph
Alien: Romulus’ trailer might be teasing a new form of Xenomorph, but the mixed response to the Neomorphs makes this unlikely. What is more likely is thatNavarro shining a medical device on her chest illuminated the Xenomorph before it burst free, giving the character a memorably gruesome fate that the trailer effectively revealed. Since Navarro can be seen getting attacked by a facehugger later in the trailer, it is fair to assume that this Xenomorph operates like the original movie’s monster. Thus, it is just in its stylish presentation thatAlien: Romuluschanged theAlienfranchise’s legendary chestburster.
