How Long Before Alien: Earth Happens? Find Out Now!

The series titled “Alien: Earth,” produced by Noah Hawley (known for “Legion” and “Fargo”), is slated to debut on August 12 on FX. This eight-episode science fiction horror show serves as a prequel to the 1979 film “Alien,” marking the first time the terrifying Xenomorphs will tread on Earth, as previous “Alien” movies were set in spaceships or other planets. The original “Alien” movie started the lasting franchise centered around humans battling the lethal, acid-blooded Xenomorphs.

Alien: Earth

In this captivating tale, Sydney Chandler stars as Wendy, a human child mysteriously transferred into an advanced android body. The story unfolds when a spaceship, carrying dangerous extraterrestrial life forms gathered from the most distant corners of the cosmos, unexpectedly crash-lands on our planet. Escaping the wreckage were terrifying creatures, including Xenomorphs, which began to terrorize the Earth.

Wendy then gathers an unlikely group of companions to explore the stranded spacecraft and confront the horrors lurking within. If they fail, these alien monstrosities may spell doom for humanity.

In addition to the cast of ‘Alien: Earth’, there’s a captivating figure named Kirsh, portrayed by Timothy Olyphant. This enigmatic character serves as both trainer and mentor to Wendy. Despite being the latest installment in the ‘Alien’ series and the first TV show, ‘Alien: Earth’ is uniquely positioned in the broader Alien timeline, offering a fresh perspective on the saga. Here’s where ‘Alien: Earth’ takes place within the larger ‘Alien’ narrative, shedding light on its connections to the other films.

Alien: Earth Is Set Two Years Before The First Alien Movie

In Space, Sigourney Weaver Is Still In Cryo Sleep

In the newly released trailer for Alien: Earth, it is confirmed that Noah Hawley’s series unfolds in the year 2120, two years prior to the events of the original Alien from 1979. However, there appears to be a prelude in Alien: Earth depicting how Wendy’s consciousness is transferred into an android body. This prologue might take place some years before 2120 as Wendy and her team seem to be seasoned professionals when their spaceship crashes on Earth in the present-day timeline of Alien: Earth.

In the year 2120, as depicted in “Alien: Earth,” Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) and her fellow crew members of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation’s spacecraft, Nostromo, remain asleep in cryogenic suspension on their way to Earth. Fast forward to 2122, when the Nostromo crew will respond to a signal from LV-426 and unintentionally introduce a Xenomorph onto the ship. Ripley, the lone survivor, will then send this alien into deep space. If “Alien: Earth” proves successful and continues for additional seasons, the events of the TV series might coincide with those seen in Ridley Scott’s Alien movie.

In the year 2120, as depicted in the Alien series, Earth presents an intriguing scenario. By this point in the timeline, humanity’s understanding of Xenomorphs is limited due to past disasters such as the doomed missions of Prometheus and Covenant, where nearly all crew members perished and one survivor, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, died on the Engineers’ homeworld. Consequently, Earth remains largely unprepared for the arrival of the acid-blooded Xenomorphs and other alien creatures that may be found in Alien: Earth, constituting a fresh threat to humanity.

Where Alien: Earth Fits With The Entire Alien Franchise Timeline

Alien’s Timeline Can Be Confusing

The film “Alien: Earth” is situated at an early stage within the broader Alien timeline that stretches over almost 300 years, with events unfolding two years before the original “Alien” (1979). Notably, “Alien: Earth” follows after Ridley Scott’s prequels, “Prometheus” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017), which delve into the origins of the Xenomorphs and their creators, the Engineers. Unlike “Prometheus,” which is set in the late 21st century, all other Alien movies, except for “Alien: Resurrection,” take place in the 22nd century.

Alien Movie/TV Series In-Universe Date Release Date Director/Showrunner
Prometheus 2093 2012 Ridley Scott
Alien: Covenant 2104 2017 Ridley Scott
Alien: Earth 2120 2025 Noah Hawley
Alien 2122 1979 Ridley Scott
Alien: Romulus 2142 2024 Fede Alvarez
Aliens 2179 1986 James Cameron
Alien 3 2179 1992 David Fincher
Alien: Resurrection 2381 1997 Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The adventures of Ripley with the Xenomorphs unfold across four films – “Alien”, “Aliens”, “Alien 3”, and “Alien: Resurrection”, which is the sole film set in the 24th century within the Alien series. The latest Alien movie, Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus”, occurs twenty years after Ridley Scott’s original Alien (1979). Although it will undoubtedly include references, nods, and connections to “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant”, and possibly a nod towards the first Alien movie, the upcoming film titled “Alien: Earth” has the liberty to reimagine the franchise’s established ideas and imagery to cause havoc in a fresh environment – our own planet, Earth.

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2025-06-05 22:39