The "Alien" universe is expanding with not one project, but two: the latest movie "Alien: Romulus" and a new TV show. Fans of this beloved franchise can experience more stories about the terrifying Xenomorph and the unfortunate characters destined to face these creatures next.
FX boss John Landgraf and the series' showrunner, Noah Hawley, revealed the title of the show in an interview with Variety. He said: "We’re pretty bullish on Alien: Earth and we’ve told him that assuming, as we hope, Alien: Earth is a returning television series, we want him to focus on at least writing two seasons of it before returning to a possible sixth season of Fargo." So there we have it, the upcoming show is officially called "Alien: Earth".
This new "Alien" TV show has been generating masses of interest ever since it was first announced by Disney in 2020. Not much was revealed about the plans for this series, but as of late, we’ve been getting some fairly big updates regarding its current development and who will be starring in it.
"Alien: Romulus" has set up this franchise for a new generation, which can help pave the way for the TV show’s ultimate success. The movie takes place between "Alien" and "Aliens", while the series is going to bring the iconic creatures home. Yes, you read that right, back to Earth. This concept alone was originally planned for another "Alien" movie, but after that fell through, it was reignited again for a modernized show.
So, let’s get into the juicy details about "Alien: Earth" and what you can expect from this upcoming show.
'Alien: Earth' release date
A recent "Alien: Earth" teaser was recently released (November 20), confirming that the show is indeed set in 2120 and will hit the small screen sometime in summer 2025.
Now we finally know the exact release date. Hulu confirmed the show "will premiere on Tuesday, August 12 with the first two episodes available to stream on FX on Hulu. A new episode of the 8-episode season will premiere each week."
Those in the U.K. can stream "Alien: Earth" on Disney Plus starting August 13, the same date "Alien: Romulus" was released.
'Alien: Earth' plot
The "Alien" TV show is the first story that will be set on Earth. According to Deadline’s report as of April 19, the upcoming show takes place 30 years before the first "Alien" movie and deals with "the emergence of the story’s infamous Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the race between corporations to create new android life."
FX, the streaming network, said: "Expect a scary thrill ride set not too far in the future here on Earth."
As of September 4, we finally have an official synopsis for the show, which tells us more about what to expect: "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."
"As members of the crash recovery crew search for survivors among the wreckage, they encounter mysterious predatory life forms more terrifying than they could have ever imagined. With this new threat unlocked, the search crew must fight for survival and what they choose to do with this discovery could change planet Earth as they know it."
“Alien: Earth” is set in 2120 when five corporations - Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold - wield the power of nations, and proprietary advancements in technology provide the promise of a new tomorrow. "
On September 16 in an interview with Variety, Noah Hawley talked about the story and how it's more than just survival: "It delivers everything that a great Alien movie delivers… those movies are survival stories, that’s great for 2 hours but if you want to make 30 plus hours of it, there’s gotta be a larger dramatic story."
Hawley also went on to talk about the Xenomorph in depth, especially since it's the first time we'll be seeing the creature on Earth: "There’s something about seeing a Xenomorph in the wilds of Earth with your own eyes. That is truly chilling to think of it moving here among us, and so I can’t tell you under what circumstances you’ll see that, but you’ll see it — and you’re going to lock your door that night."
"What was really fun for me was to really engage with the creature, bring some of my own thoughts to the design while not touching the silhouette, because that’s sacrosanct," Hawley continued, "but some of the elements as we know, whatever the host is, informs what the final creature is. I just wanted to play around a little bit to make it as scary as it should be."
FX chief John Landgraf also expressed his belief that Hawley is the perfect guy for the job: "All I can tell you is Ripley won’t be a part of it, and neither will any other characters — other than the alien itself. Noah has an incredible ability to both find a way of being faithful and showing fidelity to an original creation, like to the Coen brothers [with Fargo] or to Ridley Scott’s movie and James Cameron’s follow-up Aliens, but also to bring something new that represents both an extension and reinvention of a franchise at the same time. He’s done a masterful job with Alien as he did with Fargo. There are some big surprises in store for the audience."
Landgraf also said: "I hope they will feel like it’s faithful to the franchise they love but also a brave and original reinvention of that franchise,” he continued. “Setting it on Earth is really interesting. We have to think forward about the future of the planet in terms of the environment, governance, technology and create and design a version of the planet in the future … Noah wants to do that in a distinctive and original way."
As of May 13, we also have more plot details regarding the corporations: "In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans.
"But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype named “Wendy” marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, “Wendy” and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined."
'Alien: Earth' cast
Surprisingly we already have a big list of the main cast. Of course, there could still be more people joining the cast as the show gets more updates, especially with trailers. There are also more cast members listed on IMDb.
The current confirmed cast includes:
- Sydney Chandler as Wendy, a woman who has the body of an adult and consciousness of a child
- Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier, a CEO
- Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh, Wendy's synth mentor and trainer
- Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Yutani, a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation
- Alex Lawther as Hermit, a soldier
- Kit Young as Tootles
- Moe Bar-El as Rashidi, a soldier
- Diêm Camille as Siberian, a solider
- Essie Davis as Dame Silvia
- David Rysdahl as Arthur Sylvia
- Babou Ceesay as Morrow
- Lily Newmark as Nibs
- Erana James as Curly
- Adrian Edmondson as Atom Eins
- Adarsh Gourav as Slightly
- Jonathan Ajayi as Smee
- Bear Williams as Yutani Commando
- Lloyd Everitt as Hoyt
- Amir Boutrous as Rahim
- Dean Alexandrou as Bergerfeld
- Enzo Cilenti as Petrovitch
According to director Noah Hawley, the lead character played by Sydney Chandler will be "a hybrid, a meta-human who has the brain and consciousness of a child but the body of an adult."
'Alien: Earth' first look trailers and photos
We finally have a small teaser for "Alien: Earth", even though it isn't much to go on. Fans first saw this 15-second clip during early screenings of "Alien: Romulus", and now that it's been officially released online, people are already sharing their thoughts. Most fans are eager to see what's next for the franchise considering "Romulus" did so well (and it's absolutely fantastic). Others are worried that we might not see as much Xenomorph action.
But regardless, the teaser is exciting enough. It features the reflection of Earth on an Xenomorph's head as it lunges at the screen with its inner jaw. Even from the quick glimpse we know the show is sticking to the classic Xenomorph design, and that makes me very happy.
On November 12, Disney released a video of everything that's coming in 2025, and each movie or show gets a small teaser. Yes, that also includes another small teaser for "Alien: Earth" in a seven-second clip. Again, it's not much, but it's something. And I'm even more excited for when the proper trailer gets released.
In the short teaser we see a river between some mountains, a classic shot of what looks to be a claustrophobic spaceship hallway (with blaring red lights), people in spacesuits looking into a cave in the water, a shot of Sydney Chandler as Wendy, a person screaming and then the title sequence of Earth reflection's in an Xenomorph's head. There really isn't much to talk about here, but regardless, I'm hyped.
First teaser for Noah Hawley’s ‘ALIEN: EARTH’Releasing on Hulu in 2025. pic.twitter.com/SS3HoAZd9CNovember 12, 2024
Not only that, but the Xenomorph featured in the teaser above is not CGI, according to behind-the-scenes footage shown on the website of Rebecca and Kevin Joelson (the executive producer and director of photography of the teaser trailer). As you can see from the photo below, a man is wearing a Xenomorph suit, with the head covered in a shiny material. This is where they edit the head to reflect the distorted view of Earth, as shown in the trailer:
It's unknown whether this is the final design in "Alien: Earth" though. I'm hoping it is just because it honors the classic Xenomorph look, and it's better to stick with a design we all know and love (instead of branching out too much like "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant").
On January 26, 2025, Hulu dropped another small teaser for "Alien: Earth" during the AFC Championship game. Although the teaser looks like it's been pulled from a video game trailer, it still manages to capture the essence of “Alien.” The red emergency lights and tension of the claustrophobic hallways makes it an effective teaser. This time though, it gives us a first-person view from an Xenomorph aboard a ship bound for Earth.
Check out the new teaser:
FX has been releasing brief teaser clips for "Alien: Earth" over the last few weeks, keeping details under wraps. However, during the Oscars on March 2, the network showcased a new teaser highlighting several upcoming series, offering a more substantial glimpse at "Alien: Earth."
The footage features a group approaching a crashed ship, which likely transported the now-unleashed aliens. Classic franchise imagery makes an appearance, including an alien egg and a full-sized Xenomorph. There’s also a quick close-up of Timothy Olyphant’s character.
Interestingly, the background audio includes a sound resembling the distinctive clicking of a Predator, which is an unusual addition —especially if it hints at a crossover, as this wouldn’t be the most expected time to introduce one. Check it out:
FX Networks and Hulu recently released a new “Alien: Earth” clip that has raised my expectations even more.
The clip shows a character inside “Mother,” responding to questions about the crew's condition. Meanwhile, someone outside the room is urgently requesting to be let in. It quickly becomes clear that “specimens are loose” on the ship, and the person outside is attacked by a xenomorph, which then breaks its way into the room.
Check it out:
FX has been busy because over the last few days of April as we've been given a few short "Alien: Earth" teasers. To celebrate "Alien" day on April 26, FX released a full 3-minute teaser that combined the clips, showing the gestation process of what we only assume to be a Xenomorph.
However, it could be something else, since we also got a clip that confirmed there will be other species in the show, meaning the Xenomorph won't be alone. In this clip a voiceover explains that the ship contains “five different lifeforms from the darkest corners of the universe — each one a unique, deadly species.”
As the caged creatures clamor noisily in their pens, the camera shifts to a corner of the room where a Xenomorph suddenly lunges straight toward it at full speed, just before the scene abruptly cuts out.
I don't know about you, but I'm ready to see an actual trailer now.
On May 13, Hulu dropped some first-look photos when announcing the release date, which you can find throughout the article. Here are some more:
'Alien: Earth' streaming platform
Disney has confirmed you'll be able to stream the "Alien" TV show on Hulu in the United States, as it’s also being created as an FX original. For those living outside the U.S. you can watch the series on Star — another joint Disney Plus network made for streaming mature content.
As more details are revealed about the upcoming show, it’s possible that additional streaming platforms will be added.
'Alien: Earth' TV show creators
Noah Hawley will be the creator, showrunner, director, and writer of the upcoming "Alien" TV show. He also worked on hit shows such as "Fargo" and "Legion", so there’s no doubt that he’ll create another popular series, especially when it comes to expanding the "Alien" universe. It’s not confirmed whether he will be directing the entire first season or only working on a few episodes.
Original "Alien" director Ridley Scott will also be joining Hawley as an executive producer. He also worked on "Alien: Romulus", which is promising because it means both projects will be accurate and true to the original franchise.
The production companies involved in this series include 20th Television, FX, and Scott Free Productions.
Dana Gonzales, who also worked on "Fargo" and "Legion", will be taking control of the cinematography alongside Hawley. For production design, Andy Nicholson has the reins to make a visually stunning work of art, since he also worked on striking movies such as "Gravity" and "Captain Marvel".
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