The latest Alien: Romulus trailer featured Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine. Many moments in the trailer reminded us of the first two Alien movies helmed by Ridley Scott (1979) and James Cameron (1986). This scenario makes sense as Romulus is set between the events of the first two films. It means that Rain was alive back when Ellen Ripley (played by the iconic Sigourney Weaver) was in stasis after the events of Alien (1979). Many fans have already started comparing Spaeny’s Rain with Weaver’s Ripley.
Cailee Spaeny talked about fans comparing Rain with Ripley in a recent interview with GamesRadar. This is what she said:
“I definitely did everything that I could to bring that character to life. Watching Sigourney play that role – she’s part of the changing of the game that those films did. I could never be her. But I injected whatever I had in me into that character and tried to make it three-dimensional – as three-dimensional as possible. So I hope that that’s there, and it comes alive.”
There is no denying that Sigourney Weaver is one of the greatest action stars of all time, mainly due to her outstanding work in the Alien franchise. While Scott’s project relied more on silence and gory and physical horror elements, Cameron’s sequel had more action and bombastic sequences. But it was Cameron’s Aliens that established Weaver as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood – a complete action star. However, the next two films, Alien 3 (1992) and Alien Resurrection (1997), turned out very divisive among fans. But Weaver held those mediocre films together.
Cailee Spaeny’s Rain can never be Ripley. And she shouldn’t be. Her character needs a compelling and different arc that should also resonate with the audience. The Priscilla fame can get a chance to lead future sequels if Alien: Romulus performs well at the global box office, just like Sigourney Weaver did. Many are optimistic about Romulus, given that its events are set between the first two Alien films, and these movies are considered the best entries in the franchise. Let’s see what happens. The film will arrive in theatres on August 16, 2024. Stay tuned for more updates.