Say cheese: the Xenomorph bares its teeth in terrifying new look at Alien: Romulus

We have a new look at the Xenomorph in Alien: Romulus – and it's as terrifying as you'd expect.

The new image, first shared by USA Today, shows the titular alien baring metallic-looking teeth in a close-up shot. The creature is just as terrifying as it was when it first graced our screens 45 years ago, and that's in part due to the old-school techniques employed on the Romulus set.

"We used practical effects. We had the same people who worked on Aliens. They came back. They were there making the Xenomorph. This is a creature that they have so much love for. We had puppeteers working on the face-hugger. So to see that – it all felt so alive," lead actor Cailee Spaeny told Total Film. "I had to turn off my 'nerding out' brain, because I was just like, 'Wow, it’s beautiful. Ooh, you put the Giger skull…' I had to turn that off. But it was properly scary."

Priscilla and Civil War star Spaeny will share the screen with Rye Lane's David Jonsson, Shadow and Bone's Archie Renaux, and Madame Web's Isabela Merced. The movie, which is the seventh installment in the Alien franchise, will take place between the original 1979 movie and the 1986 sequel Aliens. It follows a group of young space colonizers exploring a derelict research station whose mission is derailed, however, by a familiar face(hugger)... Evil Dead and Don't Breathe helmer Fede Álvarez is in the director's chair.

Alien: Romulus arrives on the big screen on August 16. In the meantime, check out our picks of the other biggest upcoming movies on the way in 2024 and beyond.