Alien: Earth is an upcoming television series created by Noah Hawley, serving as a prequel to Ridley Scott's iconic 1979 film Alien. Set in the year 2120, the show unfolds in a dystopian future where governments have collapsed, and five mega-corporations control the planet. The story begins when the space vessel Maginot crashes on Earth, prompting a young woman named Wendy and a group of soldiers to investigate, only to encounter terrifying extraterrestrial creatures. The series is set to premiere on August 12, 2025, on FX, Hulu in the US, and Disney+ internationally.

The narrative introduces Wendy, a unique character whose consciousness was transplanted into a synthetic adult body, blending human emotion with artificial intelligence. As the team explores the crash site, they discover the cargo includes several alien species, including the legendary Xenomorph. Unlike previous franchise entries that portrayed the Xenomorph as the ultimate monster, Alien: Earth expands the alien roster, adding new creatures that heighten the horror and unpredictability. The series balances paying homage to the original Alien universe while carving its own path, with intense, eerie interactions not only among aliens but also between humans, synthetic beings, and cyborgs.

Visually and atmospherically, Alien: Earth captures the spirit of Ridley Scott’s creation with careful attention to design, recreating the original’s claustrophobic and grim aesthetic. The production evokes the dark, industrial feel that fans expect, while integrating modern cinematic techniques such as double exposure and unusual camera angles to maximize tension and mood. The approach brings a fresh visual language to the franchise on television, combining philosophical explorations of artificial life with brutal, nerve-wracking horror scenes that heighten the sense of dread and suspense.

Noah Hawley’s direction emphasizes a slow-burn thriller quality, blending sci-fi horror with compelling human drama and corporate intrigue. The story explores themes like the existential nature of synthetic beings, corporate dominance over civilization, and the primal fear evoked by alien lifeforms. The series notably features more screen time for Xenomorph-related terror than recent films while introducing unique creatures and narrative risks that deepen the franchise mythology. As a result, Alien: Earth is being praised for both satisfying longtime fans and bringing significant innovation to the Alien legacy.