The horror film franchise with a special premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival

Alien: Romulus will launch a new Midnight Madness strand at the relaunched 77th annual Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) on August 15.

Yesterday’s announcement comes 45 years after the seminal original Alien film also had a midnight UK premiere at the EIFF in 1979.

In the latest film from producer Ridley Scott and director/writer Fede Alvarez, a group of young space colonisers comes face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe while scavenging a derelict space station.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival will host the UK premiere of the latest instalment in a beloved horror film franchise. Picture: Chris Scott

Starring Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Rye Lane) and Spike Fern (Aftersun), it will screen at the EIFF on August 15 and will be released by 20th Century Studios in the UK and Ireland on August 16.

EIFF director Paul Ridd said: "We are absolutely ecstatic to be the UK premiere host for this viciously entertaining new vision for the Alien franchise from one of the most exciting horror filmmakers currently working.

"Fede Alvarez brings a sense of tradition and legacy, as well as gory originality and swagger to the table, and we can think of no better way to open our Midnight Madness programme than with this showstopping new film.”

Founded in 1947 when it was known as the International Festival of Documentary Films, EIFF is the world’s oldest continually running film festival.

It was confirmed last month that Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan would open this year's EIFF with the UK premiere of a new drama based on Orcadian writer Amy Liptrot's acclaimed memoir The Outrun.

The Outrun was the first major production to be confirmed for the rebooted film festival, which will run between August 15 and 21.

The family of the late Sir Sean Connery, a long-time EIFF patron, has already agreed to back a major new feature filmmaking prize which will be launched this summer.

Much of the rebooted EIFF will unfold at one of the biggest Fringe venues, Summerhall, the former vet school-tuned arts complex near the Meadows that boasts an 84-seater cinema.