Alien TV Series Cast, Showrunner, Possible Plotlines And More Details
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In 1979, barf bags were put to the ultimate test when a sharp-toothed parasite burst out of John Hurt's chest. Directed by Ridley Scott, "Alien" horrified audiences with its shocking gore, incredible creature design, and haunted house tension. The sci-fi flick would become an instant classic, kickstarting Sigourney Weaver's career and launching a massive franchise, one filled with nightmare imagery, awesome exo-suits, and an uber-creepy Michael Fassbender.
The last time we visited the "Alien" universe was back in 2017, courtesy of Scott's "Covenant" prequel. And now, we're gearing up for another visit to that face-hugging, chest-bursting, acid-blood world. After Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, we quickly learned that an "Alien" series was heading to FX, the prestige network that's played host to acclaimed series such as "Atlanta," "Mayans M.C.," and "Reservation Dogs." But what exactly do we know about the upcoming show? Well, make sure your cat is safe and stay away from those scary-looking eggs as we discuss everything you need to know about FX's "Alien" series.
When will the Alien TV series be released?
FX chairman John Landgraf thrilled "Alien" fans around the world when he announced a Xenomorph TV series in December 2020. Since then, we've been waiting quite a while to see those evil extraterrestrials back in action. The series went into production in 2023, and while showrunner Noah Hawley was able to continue filming a bit during the SAG-AFTRA strike due to the largely British cast, the series had to eventually press pause because its lead star — more on who in a minute — is American.
In a November 2023 interview with The Wrap, Hawley explained they filmed "most of the first hour" of the series ... but there's still quite a bit to go. "I still have the bulk of the show to film, and we have seven more hours to shoot." He then explained the filming is expected to recommence in January, and he's hoping the series will be ready to terrify viewers in the first part of 2025. That means Hawley's TV series will be airing after we witness the horror of Fede Álvarez's upcoming "Alien" movie, which is aiming for an August 2024 release date.
What is the plot of the Alien TV series?
The "Alien" movies are all incredibly unique from one another. "Aliens" is an action movie, "Alien 3" takes place on a prison planet, and "Prometheus" is a prequel about malicious gods. However, every installment in the franchise has had at least one thing in common — they all occur out in space, where no one can hear you scream.
The "Alien" TV series will shake that up a bit. In May 2023, FX head John Landgraf explained, "It's the first story in the 'Alien' franchise that takes place on Earth. It takes place on our planet, near the end of this century we're currently in — 70-odd years from now." That new timeline is quite different from previous entries in the series, as all the "Alien" movies except "Prometheus" take place in the 22nd century. And that new setting opens up all sorts of fresh horrors for unsuspecting humans, as well as tons of possibilities when it comes to worldbuilding.
"Setting [the show] on Earth is really interesting," Landgraf said. "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 [Hawley] wants to do that in a distinctive and original way."
The setting isn't the only thing different about the series, as we won't see Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley or the evil corporation Weyland-Yutani. Speaking about this decision, Landgraf explained, "The 'Alien' cinematic universe is ... sort of dominated by large corporate entities, and 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."
Who is starring in the Alien TV series?
Unfortunately for fans of Ellen Ripley — perhaps the greatest female action hero of all time — Sigourney Weaver won't be showing up in the "Alien" TV series, nor will any other character from the cinematic franchise. However, that means we can expect to see a fresh-faced lineup, featuring several exciting rising stars.
In keeping with the franchise's history of female leads, the main character of the FX series will be portrayed by Sydney Chandler. The daughter of celebrated character actor Kyle Chandler, Sydney already has plenty of FX experience, playing rock star Chrissie Hynde in the Sex Pistols drama "Pistols." The younger Chandler has also starred in projects such as "Don't Worry Darling" and the upcoming Apple TV+ sci-fi series "Sugar." According to Deadline, she'll be playing a character named Wendy, who — as the trade puts it — is "a hybrid, a meta-human who has the brain and consciousness of a child but the body of an adult."
She'll be joined here by Timothy Olyphant of "Justified" and "The Mandalorian," reportedly playing a robot who serves as Wendy's mentor. Also, we'll see Alex Lawther from "The End of the F*cking World." According to Deadline, Lawther is the male lead of the project and will portray a soldier by the name of CJ. Rounding out the cast, there's Essie Davis ("The Babadook"), Samuel Blenkin ("Black Mirror"), Adarsh Gourav ("The White Tiger"), David Rysdahl ("Oppenheimer") and Kit Young ("Shadow and Bone"). They'll also be joined by Babou Ceesay ("Into the Badlands"), Jonathan Ajayi ("Wonder Woman 1984"), Erana James ("The Wilds"), Lily Newmark ("Sex Education"), Adrian Edmondson ("Midsomer Murders"), and Diêm Camille ("The Sommerdahl Murders").
Who is the showrunner of the Alien TV series?
Noah Hawley is probably best known for "Fargo," the deeply philosophical, wildly absurd, absolutely stacked-with-talent FX series that draws inspiration from the oeuvre of Joel and Ethan Coen. Additionally, Hawley took a super trippy crack at the X-Men franchise with "Legion," the mind-bending series starring Dan Stevens as the titular mutant.
In other words, when it comes to TV, Hawley is an absolute visionary. So if you're skeptical about an "Alien" series, Hawley's involvement promises this won't be some cheap cash grab or an uninspired retread of tropes we've seen before. Serving as the showrunner, head writer, and executive producer, Hawley will no doubt take the Xenomorph to eclectic, challenging, and scary new territory.
In fact, Hawley was wanting to do an "Alien" series even before Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, so he's been kicking these ideas around for a long time. Speaking with the Observer in September 2020 — before his FX series was officially announced — Hawley elaborated a bit on the beloved franchise, comparing it to another iconic sci-fi series. "'Alien is on some level the complete opposite of 'Star Trek.' It's sort of about humanity at its worst."
The showrunner went on to describe his idea for the series, saying, "As I did with 'Legion,' the exercise is: Let's take the superhero stuff out of the show and see if it's still a great show. What's the show about? Let's take the alien out of the show. What's the show about? What are the themes, who are the characters, and what is the human drama? Then we drop the aliens back in, and we go, 'Not only is there great human drama, but there's aliens!"
Where to watch the Alien movies
Before the "Alien" series bursts its way onto our screens, you might want to catch up on all the preestablished Xenomorph lore.
So first up, you'll need to check out Ridley Scott's 1979 classic, "Alien," which pits a band of space truckers against the ultimate killing machine. You can stream the sci-fi horror film on Hulu, or you can rent it on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.
Next, we've got James Cameron's "Aliens," an action blockbuster with way more guns, way more muscles, and way more Xenomorphs than the original. You can stream the sequel on Max, or you can rent it on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.
Then there's David Fincher's "Alien 3," which finds Ripley stranded on a prison planet with an all-male population and a very vicious monster. You can stream the threequel on Hulu, or you can rent it for Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.
From French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, "Alien: Resurrection" stars quite a few big names — Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, Brad Dourif — and it features one of the most impressive basketball shots of all time. You can stream the movie on Hulu, and you can rent it for Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.
Then there's the prequel "Prometheus," a controversial film that has an equal amount of supporters as it does detractors, "Prometheus" can streamed on Netflix and can be rented on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.
Lastly, there's "Alien: Covenant," which serves as a bridge between "Prometheus" and the original "Alien" and stars two Michael Fassbenders for the price of one. Rent it on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.