Alien: Romulus director had an extensive call with James Cameron to go over granular details, right down to the ship’s engine sizes

The latest entry into the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus, is set tantalizingly between Ridley Scott’s seminal ’79 original and James Cameron’s superlative sequel. And, in an exclusive new look at the film, director Fede Álvarez tells us it’s “an amalgamation of Alien and Aliens on many levels”.

Speaking to Total Film in our new issue, which features Twisters on the cover, Álvarez explains that he embraced many of the same practical filmmaking techniques as Scott and Cameron, down to the use of animatronic creature effects, as well as working closely with both directors to bring his vision to the screen.