Alien: Romulus star says the sci-fi horror movie has sequences that could scar some viewers for life

An Alien movie directed by the helmer of 2013’s Evil Dead remake is guaranteed to have no shortage of intergalactic scares, but Alien: Romulus looks set to go one step further.

“I really do believe that there are specific sequences in this film that will scar some kids that sneak into the movie for life,” Isabela Merced, who plays one of the movie’s young space scavengers, tells Total Film in our new issue out on Thursday, July 19, which features the sci-fi horror sequel on the cover.  

“You can definitely say goodbye to a 12A,” her co-star David Jonsson adds with a hearty laugh. “The halfway house with Fede [Alvarez, director] is just not his style. If you’re going to try and scare people, then you scare them.”

“He doesn’t know how to not put that spin on it,” the movie’s lead, Civil War’s Cailee Spaeny notes, referring to his (literally) visceral reimagining of Evil Dead. “That is just his instinct. He’s waiting to do something strange and twisted. And you know he’s got it when you’re right on the edge of going, ‘Should we do this?’ That’s when you know, ‘OK, Fede is in his sweet spot.'” 

Set between 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens (and a thematic mix of the two), Romulus sees Spaeny, Jonsson, and Merced’s characters on a mission to escape their mining colony home when a scavenging ship arrives and offers a way out. There may be a few face-hugging surprises in store for the group, however, when they arrive at an abandoned research facility…

Pre-order the Alien: Romulus issue of Total Film

Alien: Romulus is released in theaters on August 16. And you can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, July 19.

Check out the covers below:

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios/Disney)

Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it’s in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 

(Image credit: Total Film/20th Century Studios/Disney/Marvel Studios/Warner Bros/Prime Video/Universal)