ALIEN: ROMULUS Is Mostly a Welcome Return to Horror Form

I’m always thrilled when an established franchise takes a bold step by exploring fresh ideas and concepts, like when Star Trek ventured into lighthearted comedy for its fourth film or Prey reimagined Predator in the 18th century. This innovative mindset is also present in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which aimed to give the Alien franchise a more philosophical slant. However, there are moments when going back to the roots of a series is beneficial, as we see with Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus, which brings us back to the classic “monster in space” feel, and generally succeeds, albeit not entirely.

Lucasfilm Sound Design Legend Ben Burtt Confirms It’s His Breathing as Darth Vader

In essence, it requires several individuals to embody the iconic character of Darth Vader across different films and mediums. David Prowse played the physical role in the original trilogy, James Earl Jones supplied his distinctive voice, Hayden Christensen portrayed him in ‘Revenge of the Sith’ and ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’. However, a significant aspect of Vader’s character is his labored, mechanical breathing, which was created by sound design legend Ben Burtt. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, ahead of receiving the Vision Award Ticinomoda at the Locarno Film Festival, Burtt confirmed that it was indeed his breath you hear as Darth Vader.