"Among the top television series this year, 'Alien: Earth' stands out as a remarkable production"
In a dystopian future where Earth is controlled by five powerful corporations, the latest addition to the Alien franchise, Alien: Earth, premiered on August 12, 2025. This television series, airing on FX and Hulu, serves as the first TV entry in the Alien franchise and acts as a prequel set two years before the 1979 film Alien by Ridley Scott.
The plot unfolds in the year 2120 and centres around a mysterious deep space research vessel, the USCSS Maginot, which crash-lands on Earth. The survivors include "Wendy," a hybrid android who possesses the consciousness and memories of a deceased child, and a group of tactical soldiers. They discover that the ship’s cargo consists of five dangerous alien life forms, including Xenomorphs, making them confront Earth's greatest threat.
Alien: Earth is set in a world where five corporations rule the planet, including Weyland-Yutani and Prodigy. Prodigy, led by the trillionaire Boy Kavalier, has developed "hybrids," synthetic beings with human consciousness to compete with artificial intelligence. Wendy, the protagonist, is one such hybrid created from a cancer-stricken child, now inhabiting an adult synthetic body with enhanced abilities.
Key narrative elements include corporate rivalry and control over technology determining the ruling power in the universe. The series explores the ethical and existential implications of the hybrids, especially Wendy and her fellow "Lost Boys," who struggle with their identities and the control exerted by their creators. Encounters with Xenomorphs and other alien species from the Alien universe's darker reaches emphasize horror and survival themes consistent with the original films.
Alien: Earth maintains the original franchise's anti-corporate theme, portraying these corporations as feudalistic overlords using advanced bioengineering for profit and power. The series connects directly to the Alien film franchise by setting its story just before the events of the 1979 movie, enriching the lore about the origins of the Xenomorph threat and humanity’s encounter with it on Earth. Ridley Scott, who directed the original Alien, is involved as an executive producer, cementing its canonical ties.
The Maginot's crash on Earth lands it in an area controlled by Prodigy, and Prodigy sends the hybrids to corral the creatures originally captured by the Maginot's crew. Kirsh, a synthetic person in the series, is played by Timothy Olyphant, delivering a spooky contempt for humans, reminiscent of artificial people in the Alien franchise.
Alien: Earth offers a story that feels new while building on the past and providing tantalizing possibilities for the future. The series premiered on August 12, 2025, with episodes released weekly on FX and Hulu, blending homage to the original film’s horror elements with new sci-fi storylines that expand the Alien universe. The series is set in the year 2120, two years before the events of Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien and about 60 years before the time depicted in James Cameron's 1986 sequel Aliens.
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