Ever since its inception by Ridley Scott way back in 1979, the Alien franchise has attracted fans from across the world thanks to its groundbreaking visuals, immersive storytelling, and an otherwordly concept that is just too entertaining to die down. From its blend of survivalist dread and awe-inspiring world-building, one just cannot have enough of the Alien movies.
Whether you are a sci-fi fan or just fond of slow-burn, intense horror-esque tales, the Alien franchise has something to offer for everyone. One more thing that the franchise is famous for is its ability to take risks. Through the many risks it has taken along the way, the Alien saga has evolved through several direct and indirect sequels and prequels, each adding a whole new layer of intrigue and lore to its already bubbling mythology.
But now, the clash of relentless Xenomorphs and the hubris of humanity’s overlords is taking its boldest leap yet: transitioning from the silver screen to the small screen with the upcoming prequel series, Alien: Earth. An ambitious series set to premiere on FX, the series’ creation and conception is a risky step since the franchise is known to thrive on the big screen, which does justice to its grand visuals and slow-building tension.
Now that the franchise is to receive a fresh start with a series, it not only opens several doors for the stories that could be told but also provides an exciting opportunity for fans to enjoy a serialized narrative and dive deep into the Alien mythology. As we await more details about the series, here is all we know so far about Alien: Earth, from cast details to premiere date and more. Read on!
Alien: Earth: What will this latest Alien tale be about?
It is crazy to think that a franchise that has traditionally thrived on the big screen, which seems more than apt for its various integrants and nuances, would take the bold risk of leaping from the big screen to television. But that is exactly what Alien: Earth is doing. Instead of a usually two-hour-long tale containing its typical horror elements and sci-fi brilliance, this new series by Noah Hawley will be offering a deeper dive into the decades-old mythology first created by the legend Ridley Scott and mold it into a serialized narrative fit for the small screen.
As for what the series will be about, FX Networks provides a tantalizing glimpse into the narrative by revealing the following:
When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s highly anticipated TV series Alien: Earth from creator Noah Hawley.
Set in the year 2120, the events of the series take place two years before Scott’s OG movie that kick-started it all, 7 years after the prequel film Prometheus (2012), which takes place in 2093, and 16 years after Alien: Covenant (2017), which takes place in 2104.
As for the iconic faceless, nameless corporation that later became the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, unfortunately, it won’t be a vital part of the series other than a few references here and there. Instead, it will take place in the midst of another corporation that the creator Hawley created for the series. FX chief John Landgraf stated to IndieWire (via IndieWire):
Weyland-Yutani has been an important component of the movies. There are references to that corporation in this show. But it actually takes place in the territory of a different corporation that Noah invented.
Thus, exploring the early days of Xenomorphs’ presence in human history with a whole new corporate organization in charge, this Earth-based story will introduce a new dynamic. Unlike the previous space-bound stories, the upcoming series will feature the alien threat unleashed on a populated world, making the tale an even more exciting addition to the Alien saga.
However, as for the technological part, this series seems not to be much tied to the tech featured in the two prequel films, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which are generally considered canon. Explaining his reasoning behind this decision, Noah Hawley revealed it is because the prequels feature technology that is way more advanced than the OG film, which doesn’t appeal to him much.
Alien: Earth: A stellar ensemble cast and crew to bring the story to life
One of the most exciting aspects of the upcoming series is its cast, which seems to be a mix of established stars and rising talents. Although it gives a break to the OG cast like Sigourney Weaver, the show offers a breath of fresh air by casting old and new faces in prominent and several recurring roles in the series.
While Fargo-famed Noah Hawley hopes Alien: Earth will be an ongoing series, containing at least two seasons, the cast details for Season 1 have been revealed. And if you were to ask us, it is a pretty damn long list which you can read below.
Main Cast
- Sydney Chandler as Wendy, a woman who has the body of an adult and the consciousness of a child
- Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh, Wendy’s synthetic mentor and trainer
- Alex Lawther as CJ, a soldier
- Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier, a CEO
- Essie Davis as Dame Silvia
- Adarsh Gourav as Slightly
- Kit Young as Tootles
- David Rysdahl
- Babou Ceesay
- Jonathan Ajayi
- Erana James
- Lily Newmark
- Diêm Camille
- Adrian Edmondson
Recurring Cast
- Moe Bar-El
- Sandra Yi Sencindiver, as a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation
- Richa Moorjani
- Karen Aldridge
- Enzo Cilenti
- Max Rinehart
- Amir Boutrous
- Victoria Masoma
- Tom Moya
- Andy Yu
- Michael Smiley
- Jamie Bipsing
- Tanapol Chuksrida
With Sydney Chandler starring in the lead, the series is written by Noah Hawley and will contain eight episodes. Mainly directed by Hawley, its long list of directors includes Bob DeLaurentis, Bobak Esfarjani, Lisa Long, Maria Melnik, and Migizi Pensoneau. Moreover, the best thing about Alien: Earth is that Ridley Scott is attached as executive producer, making the wait for the series even more wrenching.
When can we expect Alien: Earth to hit our TV screens?
Alien: Earth was first officially announced way back at Disney’s Investor Day presentation in December 2020. While it received its current name back in July 2024, the series has been in production for a long time, struck with developmental delays and production issues due to a range of reasons, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the twin SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Shot in Thailand, the show finally wrapped up filming in July 2024 and has been in post-production ever since. However, no official release date has been confirmed yet. But Noah Hawley remarked in November 2023 that the potential release date for the series will be somewhere in the first half of 2025. Yet when asked about the same last year by The Hollywood Reporter, he remarked that the show has been in post-production since there’s a large visual effects component that takes time.
So, as far as we know, we can expect the eight-episode long series to be released by late summer, potentially in August. The series will be available exclusively on Hulu in the United States as an FX original, with international viewers able to stream it via Disney+ or the Star hub, depending on regional availability. As summer 2025 approaches, the countdown begins, and we cannot wait to see how ‘Earth’s reckoning’ will turn out because the Xenomorphs are coming home!
In the meantime, you can see the series trailer attached below:
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
