(Image: 20th Century Studios)
Two months ago, reports surfaced that the sequel to "Alien: Romulus" was facing difficulties in its search for a director. The initial issue stemmed from a creative conflict between "Romulus" director Fede Álvarez and producer Ridley Scott. Álvarez reportedly wanted to include the prequel series' android protagonist, David, in the sequel, but Scott, who has other plans for David's storyline, firmly disagreed. As a result, Álvarez decided against returning to direct.
Later, Sébastien Vanicek, director of "Infested," entered negotiations to take over "Romulus 2," but those talks ultimately fell through.
(Image: 20th Century Studios)
Today, a new report from World of Reel has revealed two additional reasons for the sequel's delay. One major hurdle is the increasingly difficult task of securing the return of the first film's on-screen sibling duo, David Jonsson and Cailee Spaeny. Both are rising stars in Hollywood and have caught the attention of Marvel Studios. Jonsson is reportedly set to star as the new Black Panther in the third "Black Panther" film, while Spaeny is in talks to play Rogue in the new "X-Men" movie.
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The other obstacle hindering "Romulus 2" is that 20th Century Studios has also hired "No One Will Save You" director Brian Duffield (pictured above) to develop a new, standalone "Alien" film.
Duffield has a very close working relationship with 20th Century. His film "No One Will Save You" was produced by the studio, and his upcoming feature "Whalefall" (which the studio is said to have high hopes for) is also a 20th Century production. In recent years, he has also penned scripts for two other sci-fi films under the studio's banner, "Underwater" and the upcoming "Predator: Badlands," with most of these projects receiving positive reviews.
The World of Reel report also added that Michael Fassbender, who plays David, was close to signing a deal to return for "Romulus 2." However, Scott allegedly blocked the move, insisting that David not appear in a film helmed by another director. It is now unclear when, or if, Fassbender will have another opportunity to return to the franchise.
However, despite the firm tone of the report, 20th Century Studios President Steve Asbell appeared to deny the rumors on his X account, reposting the story with a simple caption:
via： World of Reel