Ridley Scott’s Best Sci-Fi Movie in Years Is Officially Dominating Prime Video Ahead of ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel
Alien: Romulus, Fede Álvarez's 2024 instalment in the long-running sci-fi franchise, is enjoying a resurgence in streaming popularity as it appears in Prime Video's top rankings in Poland and streams on Hulu in the United States. The film's success comes as the franchise, originally conceived by Ridley Scott in the 1970s, continues to rebound after a period of dormancy following Scott's divisive mid-2010s sequels, with Disney now weighing how to continue the series and interest building ahead of an upcoming Blade Runner sequel from Scott.
Set as an "interquel" between Scott's original Alien and James Cameron's Aliens, Romulus was praised for returning the franchise to its horror roots and for its young cast and tense atmosphere, also benefiting from the popularity of a companion FX spin-off series. It grossed $350 million worldwide against an $80 million budget, comfortably surpassing Scott's 2017 film Alien: Covenant, which took around $240 million. Notably, Scott himself stepped in to direct earlier follow-ups after a version developed by Neill Blomkamp was shelved, before Álvarez ultimately revived the series theatrically in 2024.
- Alien: Romulus is trending highly on Prime Video and Hulu
- The 2024 film grossed $350m against an $80m budget
- Success comes as Disney weighs the franchise's future, pre-Blade Runner sequel
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Alien: Romulus is a 2024 science fiction horror film directed by Fede Álvarez, the latest entry in the Alien series that Ridley Scott began with his original 1979 film. It slots into the story's timeline between Scott's Alien and James Cameron's 1986 sequel Aliens, following a group of young space colonists who encounter the franchise's iconic hostile creature.
The Alien franchise has had a mixed run in recent decades. Scott returned to direct two prequels in the 2010s, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which divided audiences and slowed momentum for the series, especially after an earlier planned sequel by director Neill Blomkamp was dropped. Romulus was seen as a return to the tense, horror-driven style of the earliest films and performed strongly at the box office.
The franchise now sits with Disney, which acquired it through its purchase of 20th Century Fox, and its future direction is still being decided. Renewed interest in Romulus also comes as Scott, who created Alien, is preparing a new sequel to his other major science fiction series, Blade Runner, keeping attention on his body of work in the genre.
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