Yahoo Lifestyle Alien: Earth Teaser, New Plot Details for Hulu Series Officially Released
As more and more people see Alien: Romulus at the Cineplex — to date, the sci-fi thriller has grossed nearly $300 million globally against an $80 million budget — more and more moviegoers are glimpsing a teaser for FX’s Alien: Earth TV series, which has been running alongside trailers and Maria Menounous’ adorable Noovie interstitials.
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What is Alien: Earth, when is it set, and when might it hit your small screens at home? Watch the theatrical teaser above, then read on for a recap of everything we know so far about Alien: Earth:
When Was Alien: Earth Announced?
Announced three-and-a-half years ago at the December 2020 Disney Investor Day, the series hails from Noah Hawley (of FX’s Fargo and Legion), working with Sir Ridley Scott (who famously helmed the seminal Alien film). FX Networks chief John Landgraf at the time offered no plot details, but said the series would be “set not too far into our future,” and is “the first Alien story to be set on Earth.”
In July of this year, the official title was announced — Alien: Earth.
When Exactly Is Alien: Earth Set?
The series is set about 70 years in the future, and 30 years prior to the events of the original, Sigourney Weaver-starring sci-fi film directed by Scott.
By comparison, the recently released Alien: Romulus film is set between the events of Alien and its first, James Cameron-directed sequel, Aliens.
Is Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in Alien: Earth?
Hawley made clear in a July 2021 Vanity Fair piece that Ellen Ripley, the heroine of the first Alien and some offshoots, will not figure into his story. “It’s not a Ripley story. She’s one of the great characters of all time, and I think the story has been told pretty perfectly, and I don’t want to mess with it.”
What Is Alien: Earth About?
Set on Earth versus somewhere in outer space, the TV series deals with the emergence of the franchise’s infamous Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the race between corporations to create new android life.
“When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (played by Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat,” reads the official logline.
“Expect a scary thrill ride set not too far in the future here on Earth,” FX previously teased.
What Is Alien: Earth not About?
Simply said, it will speak more to the first two Alien films, and perhaps very little to the Prometheus and Alien: Covenant prequels directed by Ridley Scott.
“For me, and for a lot of people, this ‘perfect life form’ [represented by the franchise’s H. R. Giger-designed xenomorph] is the product of millions of years of evolution,” Hawley told Variety in January. “The idea that, on some level, it was a bioweapon created ‘half an hour ago,’” as retconned by the prequels, “that’s just inherently less useful to me.”
Cast member Sandra Yi Sencindiver (Geek Girl) echoed that sentiment, saying in July that “the fans who love films No. 1 and 2 will be very pleased with the universe and the world-building in this reimagining.”
Who Is in the Alien: Earth Cast?
In addition to the aforementioned Sencindiver, the cast includes Sydney Chandler (Sugar) as Wendy, a metahuman hybrid who has the body of an adult and consciousness of a child, and Timothy Olyphant (Justified) as, reportedly, Kirsh, Wendy’s synth mentor/trainer.
Bonus points if you clocked Chandler’s resemblance above — yes, she is Friday Night Lights coach Kyle Chandler’s kid.
The cast also includes Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World), Essie Davis (Faraway Downs), David Rysdahl (Fargo Season 5), Samuel Blenkin (Mary & George), Adarsh Gourav (Hostel Daze), Babou Ceesay (Into the Badlands), Jonathan Ajayi (Noughts + Crosses), Erana James (The Wilds), Lily Newmark (A Gentleman in Moscow), Diêm Camille (Alex Rider) and Adrian Edmondson (EastEnders).
Is Alien: Earth a One-Off Miniseries?
Nope. FX Networks boss Landgraf said in January that it is “designed to be an ongoing series,” and just last month, he added, “we want [Noah Hawley] to focus on on at least writing two seasons of it before returning to a possible sixth season of Fargo.”
Does Alien: Earth Have a Premiere Date?
Filming started July 2023 in Thailand, and wrapped in July of this year. Hawley updated THR in mid-July, “I’m in post [production], editing away, and obviously there’s a large visual effects component that takes time. But I couldn’t be happier with the show we shot. If people wanted a television series based on the world of Alien, I think I’m gonna give them something special.”
The series, as noted in the theatrical teaser, is penciled in for a “2025” release — to exclusively stream on Hulu.
Want scoop on Alien: Earth, or for any other TV show ? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
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