‘Alien: Romulus’ director teases how the new film connects to its roots

Ridley Scott’s “Alien” is back in theaters Friday for its 45th anniversary and to get audiences excited about the new installment coming in August.

The Alien franchise has sunk its teeth into different genres over the years, but for “Alien: Romulus,” filmmaker Fede Álvarez wanted to take it back to its roots: Horror.

“It’s a return to form,” Álvarez told The Associated Press. “At its core, at its heart, it’s a horror thriller.”

The original two films were formative for Álvarez, known for the 2013 “Evil Dead” reboot and the 2016 horror “Don’t Breathe.” He recalled a “primal memory” of watching them on VHS and feeling like he was watching an R-rated Star Wars.

“It was a world that felt familiar, that I thought I knew, but it was going into way more adult and scary places,” he said.

Though he was a bit too young to see “Alien” in its first run, he got a peek at the new print coming to theaters and said it looks “incredible.” Showings will also include a conversation between Alvarez and Scott.