Ridley Scott gave Alien: Romulus director perfect, hilarious advice on taking over the franchise

Alien: Romulus director Fede Alvarez has shared the advice Ridley Scott gave him on his first day of filming – and it’s perfectly straight to the point. 

Alvarez posted a photo of a typed-out note from Scott on his Instagram, which reads: “Dear Fede, Good luck. Good health. Good hunting. Don’t fuck up. Very best wishes, Ridley Scott.”

Scott directed the original Alien movie, released back in 1979, and serves as a producer on the new release. Set between the events of Alien and 1986’s Aliens, Alien: Romulus follows a group of young space scavengers who bite off more than they can chew when they go on a mission to an abandoned research station. Priscilla and Civil War star Cailee Spaeny leads a cast that also includes Rye Lane’s David Jonsson, Madame Web’s Isabela Merced, Shadow and Bone’s Archie Renaux, Back to Black’s Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.

“I really do believe that there are specific sequences in this film that will scar some kids that sneak into the movie for life,” Merced recently told Total Film. “The halfway house with Fede is just not his style,” Jonsson added. “If you’re going to try and scare people, then you scare them.”

Jonsson also received similarly frank advice from Scott, which he revealed in a previous interview with Rolling Stone UK. “Yeah, he was just like, ‘Don’t be shit.’ Something along the lines of that!” he said.

Alien: Romulus hits the big screen on August 16. For more, check out our guide to the other best upcoming movies on the way in 2024.