Alien Series Premiere Date, Episode Details Announced

Alien: Earth premieres its first two episodes on August 12 at 8 PM ET on Hulu, and on FX and Disney+ internationally at 8 PM PT/ET. New episodes of the eight-part season will be released each subsequent Tuesday.

Set in 2120—well after the events of Prometheus and just two years before the original Alien—Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth follows the mysterious deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot as it crash-lands on Earth. A young woman named Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and a makeshift team of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that brings them face-to-face with the planet's most formidable threat.

For context, the recently released interquel Alien: Romulus is set between Alien and Aliens.

At this point in the Alien timeline, Earth is governed by five powerful corporations: Weyland-Yutani (the franchise's primary antagonist), Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. Cyborgs and synthetics live alongside humans, but the status quo is shattered when the CEO of Prodigy unveils hybrids—humanoid robots imbued with human consciousness. Wendy is the first prototype hybrid, part of the ongoing pursuit of immortality that is a recurring theme in the Alien series.

One intriguing detail stands out: after a Weyland-Yutani spacecraft crashes into Prodigy City, Wendy and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms "more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined."

This hints that the series may feature more monsters than just the Xenomorph, or perhaps introduce new variants of the creature. Reports suggest there will be five distinct types in total.

Here is the official synopsis:

In the year 2120, Earth is ruled by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs and synthetics exist alongside humans. The landscape shifts when the prodigious Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation achieves a breakthrough: hybrids, humanoid robots infused with human consciousness. The first hybrid prototype, "Wendy," heralds a new chapter in the quest for immortality. After a Weyland-Yutani vessel collides with Prodigy City, Wendy and the other hybrids come face-to-face with mysterious life forms more horrifying than anything ever conceived.

Alien: Earth Cast:

Sydney Chandler (Wendy), Timothy Olyphant (Kirsh), Alex Lawther (Hermit), Samuel Blenkin (Boy Kavalier), Babou Ceesay (Morrow), Adrian Edmondson (Atom Eins), David Rysdahl (Arthur Sylvia), Essie Davis (Dame Sylvia), Lily Newmark (Nibs), Erana James (Curly), Adarsh Gourav (Slightly), Jonathan Ajayi (Smee), Kit Young (Tootles), Diêm Camille (Siberian), Moe Bar-El (Rashidi), Sandra Yi Sencindiver (Yutani)

AI Characters (Synthetics) in the Alien Movie Franchise

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In January of last year, showrunner Noah Hawley explained his decision not to use the backstory from Prometheus for Alien: Earth, citing his preference for the "retro-futurism" of the original films. Hawley mentioned consulting with Ridley Scott on numerous aspects of the franchise, including its connections to the prequels, but ultimately chose to distance the series from the bioweapon narrative in favor of the lore established in the classic movies.

It's an active period for the Alien franchise. A sequel to Alien: Romulus is in development, and the Alien universe appears poised to cross over once again with the Predator series in the upcoming Predator: Badlands.