Alien: Earth Timeline: How the Prequel Bridges Gap to Ridley Scott’s Original

The haunting echo of the Nostromo’s distress beacon feels chillingly close again. Alien: Earth, FX’s highly anticipated television prequel, strategically plants itself just two years before Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi masterpiece, Alien. This deliberate timeline choice isn’t just narrative convenience—it’s a gateway to unexplored depths of the franchise’s lore. Early reviews, including one from Dexerto (July 2025), praise the series as “the best the franchise has been since Isolation,” sparking fervent speculation. With showrunner Noah Hawley openly acknowledging the potential for multiple seasons, Alien: Earth could emulate Andor’s acclaimed Star Wars approach, weaving its story toward the original film’s terrifying inception.

Why is Alien: Earth Set Two Years Before the Original Movie?

Hawley’s timeline selection is a masterstroke in accessibility and world-building. In an exclusive interview, he clarified the reasoning: “If you realize it’s before, you don’t have to have watched everything else to get into it.” This prequel status lowers barriers for new audiences while offering fresh context for veterans. Crucially, Hawley highlighted the “negative space” within the original trilogy’s century-spanning timeline, where Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley was active for barely 18 months. “There’s a lot of room for us to work,” he emphasized. By setting the show on Earth in 2120, Alien: Earth tackles foundational questions about humanity’s corporate and political structures pre-Weyland-Yutani’s deep-space dominance. As Hawley noted, exploring Earth “informs all the movies,” retroactively enriching the entire saga’s backdrop.

Could Alien: Earth Pull an Andor-Style Connection to the Films?

The Andor parallel isn’t superficial. Like the Star Wars series that culminated at the doorstep of Rogue One, Hawley envisions Alien: Earth potentially intersecting with Scott’s original film. When asked about future seasons, he confirmed, “It’s plausible that the show might end up reaching the moment in which the movie begins.” Hawley teased narrative possibilities, such as exploring the “other side” of the fateful transmission that lured the Nostromo to LV-426. “Could we see what’s happening behind that phone call to [the character played by] Ian Holm? We could get there,” he mused. While stopping short of confirming a direct overlap, Hawley’s framework allows the series to evolve into a thematic and chronological bridge—something Andor achieved critically but Alien: Earth could expand by continuing beyond the 1979 film’s events.

With its August 12 Hulu premiere (August 13 on Disney+ internationally), Alien: Earth revitalizes the franchise by mining uncharted territory between corporate dystopia and cosmic horror—setting the stage for a potential collision with cinema’s most iconic xenomorph nightmare.

Must Know

When is Alien: Earth set?
Alien: Earth takes place in 2120, precisely two years before the events of Ridley Scott’s Alien (2122). This prequel timeline allows exploration of Earth’s societal collapse and the rising influence of corporations like Weyland-Yutani before deep-space colonization escalated.

How does Alien: Earth connect to the original Alien movie?
The series introduces new characters and Earth-based conflicts that contextualize the universe’s corporate greed and political decay, which later enable the Nostromo’s mission. Showrunner Noah Hawley confirmed the show could eventually depict events leading directly to the original film’s inciting incident.

Will Sigourney Weaver or other original cast appear?
No announcements confirm legacy cast involvement. Hawley’s focus remains on new characters within the 2120 setting. However, future seasons could include younger versions of known figures (e.g., Weyland executives) or narrative ties to the Nostromo’s origins.

How many seasons are planned?
FX has not committed beyond Season 1. Hawley stated he doesn’t have a “crystal ball” but designed the story to accommodate multi-season arcs, potentially culminating near the original film’s timeline.

Where can I watch Alien: Earth?
The series premieres August 12, 2025, on Hulu in the U.S. and August 13 on Disney+ in international markets, including the UK.