Yahoo News Everything we know about Alien: Earth
The Xenomorphs are coming — this time, through your telly
Seemingly not content with scaring us in the darkness of a cinema, one of the most chilling science fiction franchises is heading for the small screen in the upcoming Alien TV series Alien: Earth.
That’s not to say that the Xenomorph — that gooey horror icon which was first introduced in Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi masterpiece Alien — isn’t still going to be hiding in your local multiplex.
A brand new Alien movie, Alien Romulus, is heading to cinemas this August under the directorial eye of 2013’s Evil Dead filmmaker Fede Álvarez. It’ll star a host of newcomers led by Mare of Easttown actor Cailee Spaeny.
While we wait for it to arrive, news has started to trickle in regarding the upcoming Alien TV series that’s also in the works.
Read more: Everything we know about Alien: Romulus
Read on to get up to speed on everything we know about Alien: Earth so far, including its plot, cast, release date and more.
When will Alien: Earth be released?
Alien: Earth wrapped production in July 2024, after being delayed by the Hollywood strikes, but the show’s air date remains unknown.
We do know that it’ll debut on FX in the US. AUK-based distributor has yet to be confirmed, although FX shows such as The Bear generally air on Disney+ here.
“It’s a very big show. It’s nice to have some time with it,” showrunner Noah Hawley told Variety as post-production began.
“The first year of anything, you want to feel like you’re not up against the wall in terms of time. I’ve seen four of the eight hours of director cuts and engaged in the process of figuring out, cinematically, what it wants to be. It’s one of my favorite parts of of making a show.”
As Alien: Earth progresses, details of its release date are surely not too far away.
Is there a trailer for the Alien: Earth?
Unfortunately not. With the show only recently entering post-production, it might be a while before we see any footage from FX’s Alien: Earth
What is the plot of Alien: Earth?
Led by Fargo showrunner Hawley, Alien: Earth will reportedly take place before the events of Sigourney Weaver’s encounters with Xenomorphs in the primary Alien franchise which began with Scott’s Alien in '79 and lasted until Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien: Ressurection in 1997.
We also know that the show will stay local, becoming the first Alien story to take place right here on Earth — albeit 70 years into the future.
Speaking to Esquire, Hawley spilled a few more details about what he has in store with his new Alien series by saying: “It’s set on Earth of the future. At this moment, I describe that as Edison versus Westinghouse versus Tesla.
"Someone’s going to monopolise electricity. We just don’t know which one it is.
"In the movies, we have this Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which is clearly also developing artificial intelligence,” he added, referencing the company that frequently represents the big human baddie in most Alien movies.
“But what if there are other companies trying to look at immortality in a different way? With cyborg enhancements or transhuman downloads? Which of those technologies is going to win? It’s ultimately a classic science fiction question: does humanity deserve to survive?”
FX chairman John Landgraf echoed these statements whilst also hitting home that the series won’t cross paths with Lt. Ripley. “Alien takes place before Ripley. It’s the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth,” he told Deadline.
“So, it takes place on our planet. Right near the end of this century, we’re in — so 70-odd years from now. Ripley won’t be a part of it or any of the other characters of Alien other than the alien itself.”
While remaining tight-lipped on any other juicy details, Landgraf did promise “big surprises” for long-time fans of the Alien franchise. In July 2024, he also teased plans for the show’s future — should it be a hit with fans.
“We’re pretty bullish on Alien: Earth and we’ve told [Hawley] that assuming, as we hope, Alien: Earth is a returning television series, we want him to focus on on at least writing two seasons of it before returning to a possible sixth season of Fargo,” said Landgraf.
Who is starring in Alien: Earth?
Sydney Chandler, star of Danny Boyle’s FX show Pistol, will lead Alien: Earth as meta-human Wendy. Chandler has also appeared in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling and Apple TV+’s Sugar series.
Alex Lawther is set to play a young soldier named CJ, with Samuel Blenkin starring as a CEO named Boy Kavalier. How exactly each of them will fit into the wider story of the show remains to be seen.
Both have appeared in episodes of Black Mirror, with Lawther also making waves via his appearance in The End of the F***ing World and Blenkin appearing in the most recent slew of episodes of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian anthology series.
Timothy Olyphant is also part of the show’s cast, reuniting him with his Fargo director Hawley.
Details about what kind of character he’s playing have not yet been confirmed but according to Deadline, it could be a synthetic humanoid who is a mentor for Chandler’s character who they believe to be a meta-human hybrid with the brain and mind of a child but the body of an adult.
At the time of writing, these details remain unconfirmed.
Other cast members includde The Babadook star Essie Davis as a character named Dame Silvia, and The White Tiger actor Adarsh Gourav as Slightly. Shadow and Bone star Kit Young will also star as a character named Tootles.
Alien: Earth is coming soon to FX.
