Science fiction fans everywhere are abuzz with excitement over the upcoming release ofAlien: Romulus. Set to release on June 24, 2025,Romuluswill be the first film in the franchise since 2017’sAlien: Covenant.It has been established that the upcoming entry in theAlienfranchisewill take place between the first two films:AlienandAliens. These two are widely considered the best in the franchise, and rank among the best sci-fi movies of all time. Even though later sequels, as well as the eventual prequels, were not as well-received, almost all the films share a common thread: the true enemy behind the scenes.
In the first twoAlienmovies, the characters find themselves pitted against the titular xenomorph. However, the ones who put them in this position are a much more sinister force: the Weyland-Yutani corporation.At its heart, theAlienfranchise is about capitalistic greed, and how corporations are willing to sacrifice bystanders to make a profit. And, considering both its place in the timeline and the legacy of the franchise,Alien: Romulusshould employ the same theme.
The Weyland Corporation’s Accomplishments
Date
Created an infinite source of renewable energy via solar panels orbiting Earth at an axial tilt.
March 2015
Stops global warming by creating a synthetic atmosphere at the North Pole.
February 2016
Peter Weyland wins a Nobel Prize for his work in curing several major cancers.
Weyland builds the first advanced android prototype, named “David.”
January 2024
Continues NASA’s Kepler project and discovers over 4,000 planets compatible with life.
2026
Wins a legal battle with the Yutani corporation over the android patent.
December 2029
Acquires several other companies, increasing holdings in defense, aerospace technology, and other fields.
2032
Audiences don’t get much of an answer to this question in the first fewAlienmovies. All viewers know is that they are one of humanity’s biggest megacorporations, and deal in a little bit of everything. InAliens, the company’s villainy is represented by Carter J. Burke (Paul Reiser), the main antagonistic force. But in most of the other films, they are a faceless enemy. And for the most part, we don’t need the details.Weyland-Yutani wants a xenomorphfor its potential to increase their massive wealth, and they’re willing to accept a few deaths as collateral. That’s all the audience needs to understand.
Later material in the franchise, though, expands on the company’s origins and undertakings. Started by Peter Weyland in 2012, the Weyland Corporation initially focused on creating renewable energy and ending climate change. Weyland then used the money he earned to acquire technology from NASA, and began exploring the possibilities of space travel. He manufactured android prototypes, precursors to those seen in the original movies. Eventually, though, Weyland’s health began to fail, and he began a quest for immortality. In the2012 prequel moviePrometheus,an aging Peter Weyland funds the expedition that the film follows. Sometime after his death, the Weyland Corporation underwent a merger with the Japanese Yutani corporation, creating the Weyland-Yutani of the original films.
Even though the prequel movies put a face to the name “Weyland,” they portrayed a very different type of enemy from their predecessors. Peter Weyland himself, not some corporate entity, is the impetus behind the events. It’s his personal ambitions of immortality that serve as the driving force.
Ultimately, asRidley Scott himself has said, the prequels tell a different kind of story from the mainAlienmovies. InAlienand its sequels, events always tie back to the Weyland-Yutani corporation; in the prequels, it’s Peter Weyland himself. And considering thatAlien: Romulustakes place between the first and second movies, it’s clear which is more likely — and better suited — to play the role of villain here.
Weyland-Yutani’s Potential
Peter Weyland dies inPrometheus, which takes place long before the originalAlienfilm. By the timeRomulustakes place, he’s no longer alive to act as an antagonist. From an in-universe perspective, it simply makes more sense that the corporation, rather than the individual, will play a role in the story. However, there are other reasons why the corporate entity should make a comeback.
From its placement in the timeline alone, it’s likely thatRomulusintends to expand on the events and themes ofAlienandAliens.Setting up an evil corporation as the force behind the scenes, rather than a person, would fall in line thematically. The first two movies in the franchise are outstanding not just for their suspense, action, andportrayal of sci-fi creatures, but for the believable motives of the films' true antagonists. The theme of corporate greed destroying human lives is just as relevant today, andRomulusshould not shy away from it.
At the time of writing, little is known about the plot ofAlien: Romulus, so the specifics of Weyland-Yutani’s role are open for speculation. From what has been revealed so far, fans know that the movie will focus on a young group of colonizers on a derelict space station, where they encounter a dangerous creature. The teaser trailer showsthe familiar facehuggers, so this creature is most likely the xenomorph. Perhaps these colonizers are employees of or contractors with Weyland-Yutani, who is funding an expedition to create human colonies away from Earth. The film’s name may act as another hint in that direction: Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. Perhaps Weyland-Yutani intends to build an empire, and thexenomorph is standing in the way…or is a key piece of the puzzle. Either way, main character Rain Carradine and her crew are likely sent into its path on purpose.
But according to that legend of the founding of Rome, Romulus killed his twin brother Remus when the latter insulted his new city. Such a fate does not bode well for the film’s main characters. After all, Weyland-Yutani is perfectly content to sacrifice lives for their greater good (or greater profit). This may well be what the corporation intends forAlien: Romulus' team of heroes, unless they can fight back the same way Ellen Ripley did.
