PIG Director Michael Sarnoski Reportedly Eyed to Helm The ALIEN: ROMULUS Sequel After Fede Álvarez Steps Away
The Alien franchise looks like it may have found the filmmaker to guide its next chapter. After Fede Álvarez decided not to return to direct the follow-up to Alien: Romulus, a new report suggests the search for a replacement may finally be nearing an end.
According to a report from Nexus Point News, Michael Sarnoski is currently being eyed to direct the sequel to Alien: Romulus. The filmmaker is described as the “preferred candidate for the job,” though a deal has not been officially announced yet.
The news comes after Álvarez stepped away from directing duties on the sequel, even though he helped shape the story. Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues still wrote the screenplay for the follow-up, meaning the creative foundation for the next installment is already in place.
Sarnoski has quickly built a strong reputation in Hollywood. He directed the acclaimed drama Pig, starring Nicolas Cage, and more recently helmed A Quiet Place: Day One.
His upcoming film The Death of Robin Hood stars Hugh Jackman and is expected to hit theaters later this year. On top of that, he’s also attached to direct the live-action adaptation of the video game Death Stranding.
If he lands the job, Sarnoski would be stepping into a franchise that has recently regained some momentum. The Alien series had been in a strange place after Ridley Scott’s divisive prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. But Alien: Romulus helped push things back in a more traditional horror direction.
With Álvarez directing, the movie leaned heavily into tension, practical terror, and a crew of characters audiences actually cared about. The film ended up earning an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes and pulled in $350.9 million at the global box office, proving there is still plenty of life left in the long-running sci-fi horror series.
Álvarez previously explained why he chose not to return to the director’s chair, saying:
"I don't think I was ever going to [return]," Álvarez previously said of his decision not to return for the follow-up. "We always knew right when we finished – this is one of those things where you come in, and you do one, and get out. Cameron, Fincher. all those directors I love, they went and did one. Obviously, Ridley created it, he has the right to make a bunch of them."
Even though he stepped away from directing, Álvarez made it clear he still wanted to protect the characters he helped create in Romulus.
"We did want to write it. Honestly, it’s because we love the characters we created, so we want to make sure no one kills them right at the beginning of the next one.
“They went and killed Hicks and Newt just like that. Hey, let’s not let that happen," he continued. "We wrote it and made sure they stayed alive, and now we can let someone else make it."
One of the most infamous examples of the Alien franchise wiping out characters between installments came at the start of Alien 3, when Hicks and Newt were abruptly killed off after surviving Aliens.
If Álvarez’s comments are any indication, the sequel will continue the story of Alien: Romulus survivors Marie Raines “Rain” Carradine, played by Cailee Spaeny, and Andy, played by David Jonsson.
Whether the sequel can reach the same level of success without Álvarez directing remains to be seen, but if Sarnoski does land the job, his track record with atmospheric storytelling could make him a pretty exciting choice to face off against the Xenomorphs next.