Why is the new Alien movie called Romulus?

There’s a new Alien movie in cinemas this week, which is subtitled ‘Romulus’ for a couple of very good reasons.

When it comes to the Alien movies, horror classic Alien and action masterpiece Aliens had pretty simple and self-explanatory titles, as did the unfairly derided Alien 3.

Then the franchise got a bit more creative. Alien Resurrection was tied to Ripley’s return, Prometheus was inspired by Greek mythology, and Alien: Covenant referenced a spaceship in that movie.

Alien Romulus is in cinemas now, and that title has a double meaning in the universe. Meaning MILD SPOILERS ahead…

The literal meaning of Alien Romulus

The plot of Alien Romulus sees a group of scavengers boarding a derelict space station while trying to escape lives in which they are essentially slaves.

While exploring said station, they stumble on a pair of modules, which are named ‘Romulus’ and ‘Remus,’ in reference to the brothers from Roman mythology.

It didn’t work out too well for those siblings (see below), and it’s equally rough for the crew, as the labs in question are filled with alien experiments.

Getting metaphorical

There’s also a metaphorical dimension to the ‘Romulus’ moniker, which ties back to the mythological story.

Romulus and Remus were twin brothers whom King Amulius perceived to be a threat to his rule, and so ordered to be killed. But the boys survived, and were famously suckled by a she-wolf when they were toddlers.

The siblings separated when they reached adulthood, before being reunited to restore their grandfather to the throne.

They then set out to build a city, but disagreeing over the location, the twins fell out, and Remus was killed, while Romulus went on to found Rome.

Siblings play a prominent role in the new Alien movie too. Cailee Spaeny plays protagonist Rain, who is human. While David Jonsson is ‘synthetic’ Andy. And while they aren’t blood relatives, Andy is Rain’s protector, best friend, and someone she considers a brother.

This results in much conflict, as Rain’s crew members see Andy as a threat rather than one of their own. It also builds tension in Alien Romulus, as we wonder if Rain and Andy will end up like Remus and his titular brother…

Alien Romulus is in cinemas now. Head here for new movies releasing this month, while these are the best movies released in 2024, so far.