Alien: Romulus director Fede Alvarez recently hinted at the possibility of a new Alien vs. Predator movie. Both franchises originally gained popularity in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Their worlds first clashed in 2004 with Paul W. S. Anderson’s Alien vs. Predator, which received poor reviews. A sequel titled Requiem, directed by Greg and Colin Strause, hit theaters in 2007 but disappointed critics and struggled at the box office. This failure shut down hopes for a third installment. However, the success of Prey (2022) and Alien: Romulus has reignited interest in both franchises.
During an interview with Collider, Alvarez revealed that another Alien vs. Predator movie could still happen, even though nothing is officially in the works. He shared his unique idea for the project: keep the crossover a secret until the movie hits theaters. Check out his thoughts below:
I can’t speak for [Prey director Dan Trachtenberg]. At some point, once there’s another Alien, and I know he’s working on a sequel to Prey, one day if we feel like, ‘Yeah, that’s what we cannot wait to see,’ I think that’s a movie we could do.
The way I would do it, most likely, if it could be done this way… It’s harder to keep secrets online… The best AVP will be the one that you don’t know is AVP until the other guy shows up. You think you’re watching a Predator movie, and then they land in some place and there are creatures, and fcking hell, it’s a Xenomorph. That would get me. ‘Fck yeah!’ You’d go crazy.
Or vice versa, you’re in an Alien movie, and then suddenly a mysterious creature is there, and you can hear that sound, and you see the cloak, and you go, ‘Is that a f*cking Predator?’ And then turns out it is. That would be the way to do it, don’t you think? Once you put it in the title, it’s like, ‘Spoiler alert.’”
Now seems like the perfect time for studios to consider another Alien vs. Predator movie. After the poorly received The Predator in 2018, the franchise made a strong comeback with Prey in 2022. Director Dan Trachtenberg is also working on Predator: Badlands, set to release in November. Meanwhile, Alien: Romulus earned positive reviews and performed well at the box office. Director Fede Alvarez has already confirmed plans for a sequel. After years of disappointing releases, both franchises are finally back on track and gaining momentum.
Alvarez’s idea of keeping an Alien vs. Predator movie a secret sounds exciting, but it might be hard to pull off. With social media everywhere, leaks would likely spoil the surprise before the movie even hits theaters. Fans would probably find out if a Xenomorph or Predator appears in the other’s movie. Plus, studios would likely use the crossover for marketing to attract more viewers, making it even tougher to keep under wraps.
Seeing an Alien vs. Predator crossover as a surprise in theaters would definitely be exciting. But some might argue that now isn’t the best time for it. Both franchises are doing well with their current directors, and it’s more interesting to watch where Alvarez and Trachtenberg take their stories individually instead of combining them. Plus, the last two Alien vs. Predator movies didn’t do much to prove that a crossover works.
With Alvarez and Trachtenberg leading the way, a new Alien vs. Predator movie would likely turn out much better than past attempts. While earlier crossovers didn’t impress, these talented directors could find a way to make it work. It’s still unclear if another movie will happen, but if it does, it might just come as a surprise.
Source: Collider