‘Alien: Romulus' and its curious relationship to the myth of the founding of Rome

We are not alone. Out in space, among the stars and distant planets, a terrible evil nests and waits for its prey. Alien: Romulus, the new film in the franchise created by Ridley Scott, returns with a new installment that has just released its first teaser trailer. The very title of the film, directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Álvarez, is a direct reference to a legendary figure: the founding myths of ancient Rome speak of the two twins who laid the foundations of the city and its glorious civilization. According to legend, Romulus was the first king of the city, but what does that have to do with a horror thriller?

In an interview with Total Film, director Fede Álvarez reflected on this strange connection: “It’s based on the Romulus and Remus myth. If people aren’t familiar, it’s the creation myth of Rome. Romulus killed Remus. It’s not a siblinghood that went down the right path. [Alien: Romulus] is a film about siblinghood. A lot of the character stories are related to siblinghood.” He elaborates, “As you may know, Weyland-Yutani, which is the big company in the Alien movies, has this obsession with Rome and Imperialist iconography. You really have to go deep into the canon, but a lot of the planets, and a lot of names come out of the early Roman Empire, either from rivers or cities.”

The new movie features a special station called Renaissance: “it’s made of two big models that are connected. One is Remus, the other one is Romulus. And that’s as much as I can tell you…”

The Myth of Romulus and Remus

Civilizations are built around legends and myths that deify a supposedly glorious past, usually to give authority to noble families. Gaius Julius Caesar was ascribed a divine lineage, which his successors also exploited. Legend has it that the son of Aeneas founded the city of Alba Longa on the Tiber. The kings succeeded each other until Numitor was dethroned by his brother Amulius. The new monarch ordered the daughter of the former ruler to dedicate her days as a priestess to the goddess Vesta, which would theoretically ensure that she would remain a virgin...., but this was not the case.

The god Mars fathered the twins Romulus and Remus with Rhea Silvia. Fearing that their uncle would kill them, she put them in a basket and threw it into the waters of the river. It was a she-wolf who found the babies and suckled them as if they were her own offspring, which is why Rome keeps the Capitoline she-wolf as its emblem. Later, a shepherd rescued them and raised them with his wife. Was the she-wolf really a woman? Of course, these are all legends, and this mythical origin of Rome is not considered historical.

Everyone knows the story of Romulus and Remus. They both founded the city of Rome, but Romulus demarcated his part of the city and promised to kill anyone who crossed the line. It was his brother who disobeyed the rule, so his twin killed him and set himself up as the first king of Rome. It is true that there was a monarchical past in ancient Rome, although the Republic ruled for centuries before Octavian reigned as the first Emperor of the Roman Empire.

‘Alien: Romulus’ will not be released in theaters until August 16. The movie tells a stand-alone story that takes place between ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens’, the first two films in the franchise.