20th Century Studios will release “Alien: Romulus” on videocassette for the first time in nearly 20 years. The studio announced the VHS version at the Beyond Fest movie convention recently. Director Fede Alvarez revealed collector’s editions of the film on tape will be available starting December 3, 2024 to celebrate 45 years of the popular “Alien” franchise.
“Alien: Romulus” takes place between the original 1979 “Alien” film directed by Ridley Scott and James Cameron’s 1986 “Aliens.” The movie follows a group of young scavengers who encounter deadly Xenomorph creatures while exploring an abandoned space station. Released in theaters earlier this year, the film has earned over $350 million worldwide on a $80 million budget. Only “Alien” prequel movie “Prometheus” made more money from the series.
The VHS release is meant for collectors and fans of the “Alien” movies. It will feature special original cover art of a monster threatening the main character, designed by artist Matt Ferguson.
20th Century Studios said the tape will fully function to play the film for those wanting an old-school viewing. “Alien: Romulus” will also be on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital formats at the same time, with extra behind-the-scenes bonus features.
While streaming services are popular now, physical media still has demand from some consumers who enjoy tangible copies. The studio sees releasing “Alien: Romulus” on VHS as a nod to franchise devotees and nostalgia for older formats. Fans can also stream the full “Alien” series on Hulu or buy the new film digitally now ahead of the different releases in December 2024.
Looking ahead, the successful “Alien” brand will expand into TV with a new FX series called “Alien: Earth” in development. Video game fans can also anticipate a sequel to the acclaimed “Alien: Isolation” game. As both collector’s items and time capsules of a past technology, VHS releases like this one show the ongoing allure of science fiction’s most iconic movie monsters.