Alien TV Series Solidifies Timeline And Could Rewrite Canon
The more details we get about the upcoming FX Alien series, the more excited we are for it. Reports are that the series is set at the end of this century, 30 years before Ridley Scott’s 1979 original Alien and a few years before Prometheus. This means that we can expect the series to take place in the 2090s, taking us further back than the franchise has ever gone before.
Tossing Out Prometheus
This official timeline could put the Alien series in a unique position to rewrite the franchise’s canon, especially since showrunner Noah Hawley has already expressed that he’ll be ignoring most of the story elements introduced in Prometheus. The exposition-heavy lore added in Prometheus is a pretty big point of contention for fans of the Alien franchise, so this is good news for fans.
First Alien Story On Earth
Noah Hawley’s FX Alien series will also be the first project in the franchise to take place on Earth. Reportedly, the story will show us how the Weyland-Yutani Corporation became the corporate superpower it is and how the corporations raced to create fully functional androids. It’ll be interesting to see how the Xenomorphs play into this plot.
Sci-Fi Star As The Lead
In other new news about the Alien series, Foundation star Sandra Yi Sencindiver has also joined the cast as a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. Sencindiver joins previously announced cast members Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Kit Young, Timothy Olyphant, and David Rysdahl. Now, fans will have to wait patiently as the series gets closer to its expected 2025 release date.
Alien: Romulus Coming To Theaters
While 2025 seems like a long time to wait for the Alien series, the good news is that we have more from the Alien franchise coming much sooner. In August, we’ll be getting the latest film in the franchise titled Alien: Romulus. While the series will be a prequel and take place early in the timeline, Romulus is set to take place between the events of 1979’s Alien and its sequel, Aliens.
Alien: Romulus is directed by Fede Alvarez, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Rodo Sayagues. The film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. Romulus follows a group of young space colonizers who scavenge a derelict space station on a distant planet, only to run into the terrifying Xenomorphs.
A Return To Greatness For The Franchise
Fans are hopeful that the Alien series and Alien: Romulus can get the beloved sci-fi series back on track. Fans were less enthused about both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant and are more than ready for a return to form that focuses less on complex lore and more on competent protagonists facing a terrifyingly strange and alien threat. So far, it looks like both projects just might fit the bill.
We’ll get to see Alien: Romulus when it hits theaters on August 16, 2024. While the FX Alien series doesn’t have an official release date, it seems likely it will stick to its 2025 window. We’ll keep you updated on both projects in the meantime.
