Alien: Earth takes place two years prior to the events of the 1979 classic, Alien.
After a lengthy anticipation, fans of Ridley Scott’s iconic Alien franchise can look forward to the upcoming release of the dark-themed prequel series, Alien: Earth, which debuts this summer on FX and Hulu.
The show’s premise introduces a gripping scenario: “When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a mismatched group of tactical soldiers confront a discovery that reveals the planet’s greatest threat.”
Set in the year 2120, two years before the original Alien, the series explores a world dominated by corporate interests racing to unlock the secrets of human longevity, potentially even achieving immortality. Showrunner Noah Hawley has indicated that the series will align more closely with the tone and mythology of the original film than with its prequels, Prometheus (2012) or Alien: Covenant.
Wendy, played by Sydney Chandler, is depicted as a human/synth hybrid characterized by “the body of an adult and the consciousness of a child.” Timothy Olyphant portrays her synth mentor and trainer, Kirsh. The ensemble cast features Alex Lawther as soldier CJ, Samuel Blenkin as CEO Boy Kavalier, Essie Davis as Dame Silvia, and several others, contributing to a diverse lineup that includes characters with names like Slightly, Tootles, and Curly.
In a revealing trailer released in January, FX/Hulu offered a tantalizing glimpse into the series during the AFC Championship game, showcasing a perspective from a Xenomorph as it navigated a spaceship’s corridor, interspersed with the ominous warning of “containment breached!” The teaser concluded with the spacecraft hurtling toward Earth.
The most recent trailer unfolds in a seemingly serene environment in 2120: Neverland Research Island. Here, the initial creation of a hybrid synth is in progress, involving a young human test subject afflicted with terminal cancer. The doctor reassures her, saying, “You’re going to be the first person to transition from a human body to a synthetic,” highlighting her significance. Following a successful operation, Wendy is created just in time for the imminent crash landing of an alien vessel in Prodigy City.
The contents of the ship remain a mystery, but CEO Boy Kavalier is determined to acquire whatever is onboard. Wendy volunteers for the risky task of retrieving the cargo, declaring, “We’re fast. We’re strong. We don’t break.” Inside the ship, they encounter utter devastation and discover it housed five alien life forms from “the darkest corners of the universe.” This leads to chaos as they unwittingly bring one particularly menacing species back to the lab, possibly heralding the emergence of Xenomorphs. The human characters appear oblivious to the terrifying consequences they are about to unleash.
Alien: Earth is scheduled to premiere on FX and FX on Hulu on August 12, 2025.
