Alien TV Series Timeline Revealed, Ripley Confirmed Not to Be Included

With a new TV series set within the world of Alien on the way for FX, fans have been curious about how the concept will tie into the overall mythology of the franchise, with an FX exec recently offering some updates on the concept. John Landgraf detailed, per Deadline, that the new series will be taking place roughly at the end of the 21st century, which is also roughly around the time that Ellen Ripley was born. In this regard, it also means we won’t be seeing Sigourney Weaver reprising her role from the film franchise in the upcoming adventure.

“There are some big surprises in store for the audience,” Landgraf shared at the network’s TCA appearance. “Alien takes place before Ripley. It’s the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth. So, it takes place on our planet. Right near the end of this century we’re in — so 70-odd years from now.”

He added, “Ripley won’t be a part of it or any of the other characters of Alien other than the alien itself.”

While this update will surely disappoint some audiences, it will likely excite others, as it means the project will seemingly be exploring uncharted territory. 

The exec might be accurate in noting that this is the first project in the proper Alien franchise to take place on Earth, though both Alien vs. Predator films have taken place on our planet, so it won’t be the first time a xenomorph will be seen on Earth. What might complicate matters, however, is that when the creature appears in the original Alien, it is seemingly the first time humans encountered the creature, so if this new series is to heavily explore the nature of the beast, it could cause some complications for the overall narrative of the franchise and what humans really knew about the creature.

With Noah Hawley at the helm, having previously delivered the FX series Fargo and Legion, we surely can’t rule out the new series taking some ambitious and unexpected creative liberties with the property.

“Noah has this incredible ability, and I think you’ve seen it with Fargo, to both find a way of being faithful, showing fidelity to an original creation like a Coen brothers’ movie, or in this case, Ridley Scott’s and James Cameron’s follow-up, Aliens, but also to bring something new to the table that represents extension and reinvention of a franchise at the same time,” Landgraf expressed.

Stay tuned for details on the Alien TV series, which isn’t expected to start shooting until next year.

Are you excited by these details? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!