For nearly 50 years, the Alien franchise has been a cornerstone of science-fiction horror, with its iconic Xenomorph standing as one of cinema’s most memorable creatures. Now, creator Noah Hawley is set to expand this universe with Alien: Earth, the first live-action television series for the franchise. The ambitious new story moves the action to our home world, detailing the catastrophic fallout after a Weyland-Yutani research vessel crashes and unleashes its terrifying cargo. However, the iconic Xenomorph will not be the only threat humanity faces, as the series is set to introduce multiple dangerous and predatory alien species. ComicBook recently sat down with the cast and crew of Alien: Earth during Comic-Con, where Hawley revealed that the classic monster is about to get some serious competition.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“That depends on what grosses you out the most,” Hawley said when asked if the xenomorphs are still the scariest creatures of Alien: Earth. “I think we’re giving them a run for their money, certainly. But their value is added. They are scary in the egg stage, the facehugger stage, and the chest burster stage. They got something for everyone, those xenomorphs.”
The story of Alien: Earth takes place in the year 2120, a time when Earth is governed by five monolithic corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. When a Weyland-Yutani spaceship collides into Prodigy City, it unleashes a host of mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have imagined. This event thrusts the series’ protagonist, a new type of hybrid humanoid robot named Wendy (Sydney Chandler), directly into the chaos. The introduction of multiple alien threats fundamentally changes the survival-horror dynamic of the franchise, turning a contained outbreak into a potential planet-wide ecological disaster with various creatures vying for dominance.
“You bring these creatures into our natural environment,” Hwlaey told us. “You introduce an apex predator to another balanced ecosystem. I’m really interested to see how that plays out. I think you saw it in the last trailer, the iconic shot of the xenomorph in the cave system. You got a visceral response to it, to feel like now they’re here [on Earth].”
Everything We Know About Alien: Earth
Alien: Earth is poised to build a complex world that expands far beyond the immediate alien threat. The series introduces a society deeply stratified by technology, populated by humans, cyborgs, and synthetics. The central conflict is accelerated by the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation, Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), who unlocks a new form of immortality with hybrids, humanoid robots infused with human consciousness. This breakthrough establishes a fierce corporate rivalry that Hawley has compared to the historical battle for electricity between Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse, with every major power fighting to control the future of humanity. This corporate warfare means the alien outbreak is an opportunity for ruthless entities to seize power and technology. Hawley has emphasized that he wants to explore the moral horror of what humans do to each other, a theme present since the original films.
The series will be anchored by a diverse cast of characters navigating this deadly new landscape. At the center of Alien: Earth is Wendy, the first hybrid prototype, who shares a twisted father-daughter relationship with her creator. She is protected by a found family of fellow synthetics, including her mentor Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) and her brother-figure Wendell (David Rysdahl). On the human side, Alex Lawther plays CJ, an idealistic soldier who represents the “blue collar” ethos of the original films, a person caught within a system far beyond his control. Standing in for the infamous Weyland-Yutani corporation is Babou Ceesay’s Morrow, a complex cyborg with a long history and a conflicted loyalty to the company that saved him but also represents a cold, calculating corporate machine.
Alien: Earth premieres on FX on August 12th.
What kind of new monster do you hope to see in Alien: Earth? Let us know in the comments!
Most Viewed
-
South Park Studios -
20th Century Studios
