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Sci-fi Horror Franchise Alien Makes Debut on TV After Almost Half a Century; Creators of Hulu Series Discuss Delay

Movie Makers of Alien Franchise Reveal Strategies for Transforming High-Budget Film Series into Television Programming

, and ASMedia

2025 August 29 . 6:19 AM

2 min read

"Alien: Earth, the first television series for the Alien horror franchise, was created after almost... — "Alien: Earth, the first television series for the Alien horror franchise, was created after almost five decades. Creators discuss the delay behind the series' production"

Sci-fi Horror Franchise Alien Makes Debut on TV After Almost Half a Century; Creators of Hulu Series Discuss Delay

After nearly five decades of the Alien franchise being exclusively a big-screen affair, we're finally witnessing a shift. Alien: Earth, the first television series in the franchise, is set to premiere, marking a significant departure from the movies that have defined the series since 1979.

The creative team behind Alien: Earth always envisioned the story as better suited for the small screen, allowing for a more extended, episodic exploration of the Alien universe. This decision was a natural fit for the show's creator, Noah Hawley, known for his work on serialized TV hits like Fargo and Legion.

Set two years before the 1979 Alien film (approximately 2092), Alien: Earth delves into new themes related to cybernetic enhancements, synthetic beings, and hybrids with human consciousness. This setting provides an opportunity to tell an origin story for the alien species and introduce new elements in a detailed, serialized manner, which is more naturally accommodated by the TV format.

Hawley views an Alien movie as primarily a survival story, but with Alien: Earth, he uses the IP as a starting point to explore personal themes and issues. The series balances drama, horror, and action effectively, according to Hawley.

The partnership between the Alien: Earth creators and FX is described as a "dream pairing". The show does not fully treat events from the Alien prequel movies as canon, allowing for a fresh take on the franchise.

The rise of streaming services and increased production budgets for TV shows has made it possible to produce Alien: Earth. The series, a production of FX TV Original, is set to air on Hulu (US) and Disney (internationally).

Alien: Earth premieres with a two-episode launch on August 12 (North and South America) and August 13 (everywhere else). Until now, every other live-action Alien project has been made for the big screen. The obstacle in bringing the franchise to television was perceived as finding a new story. With Alien: Earth, the creators have certainly achieved that.

The specific reasons that led the creators to tell the story via the television medium were not disclosed. However, it's clear that Alien: Earth is a departure from the franchise's previous live-action projects, which have all been movies. This change allows for a fresh take on the franchise, taking advantage of TV’s ability to develop complex stories over several episodes.

In a world where streaming services are redefining the landscape of entertainment, Alien: Earth is set to make its mark as the first television series in the Alien franchise. Get ready to dive into a new chapter of the Alien universe, filled with suspense, action, and intrigue.