In the 1990s, Varginha, a quiet town in the interior of Minas Gerais, gained worldwide fame after a series of mysterious events that became known as the “Varginha Case”. At the time, several residents reported having seen unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and strange creatures that did not appear to be human. This incident, widely reported by the media, put Varginha on the map as the site of a supposed extraterrestrial contact, generating theories and curiosity to this day.
Taking advantage of this connection with the unknown, the Alien franchise, which returns to theaters on August 15 with “Alien: Romulus,” chose Varginha as the setting to promote the film. The new film, which brings back the atmosphere of the classic directed by Ridley Scott, “Alien” (1979), and follows a group of young space colonists who explore an abandoned station and come across a deadly alien life form.
The city of Minas Gerais hosted a special preview with activations that referenced the famous Varginha ET case. Celebrities such as Gkay, Daniel Pires, Lucas Cunha, Cocielo and Christian Figueiredo attended the event, which brought the Via Café Shopping Center to a standstill, attracting a huge crowd.
In addition to the premiere, several promotional activities took place in Varginha, including covered buses, sound trucks, billboards, voiceovers in stores, TV and radio spots, reinforcing the climate of anticipation for the launch of “Alien: Romulus”. The titles of the out-of-home advertisements are eye-catching: “We understand ET”; “The visitors from space are back”; “Here in Varginha, we call it a documentary”, among others.
Set to premiere exclusively in theaters on August 15, “Alien: Romulus” stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu. The film is directed by Fede Alvarez, known for “Evil Dead” and “Don’t Breathe,” who also wrote the script alongside Rodo Sayagues, based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett.
