It would be easy to be dismissive of FX’S ALIEN: EARTH as yet another lazy example of a platform (yes. given its omnipresence and proportion of total viewership of Hulu it’s much more appropriate to not call it merely a network these days) taking pre-existing IP that’s a known quantity to enhance the chance that someone will discover it in the fractionalized landscape we operate in. But nothing that FX ever decides to do could ever be classified as lazy, and the same could be said as Noah Hawley.
I was fortunate enough to meet this dynamic showrunner at an FYC event last summer celebrating the concluding season of FARGO, an extension of the cult movie originally produced by the Coen brothers that became a successful and rewarded five-season effort that extended over a decade. Hawley took the DNA of a one-off and built out a world of both familiar and original characters and put his own passionate imprinteur on it, winning an Emmy for outstanding limited series when it kicked off in 2014–a category advantageously developed and championed by his partner in creativity John Landgraf. They’re similar in their approach and demeanor–determined, cordial yet clearly in control–and they suffer no fools. It was then that I first heard some details of this project and I’ve been looking forward to it ever since. And as TECH RADAR’s Tom Power wrote back in June, I was indeed fortunate to even know it was forthcoming:
FX revealed the very first teaser for Alien’s inaugural TV show last September and then waited eight months to birth another, slightly longer Alien: Earth teaser. Six weeks before its official trailer was released, Disney posted another round of footage (see the Instagram post below) that teased the alien creatures that were further revealed in its most recent trailer.
The TV GUIDE duo of Rebecca Rovenstine and Kat Moon amplified the drumroll with some more details roughly a month ago:
FX’s logline is as follows: “When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s Alien: Earth. “In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype, named Wendy, marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, Wendy and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.”
A new trailer, released on July 17, teases the potential for disaster after a spacecraft crashes with five new life forms on board, which have been collected from distant planets. “We don’t lock them down, it will be too late,” Timothy Olyphant’s Kirsh warns. In an earlier trailer for Alien: Earth, Sydney Chandler’s synthetic-human hybrid Wendy volunteers to investigate that mysteriously downed spacecraft. “It’s like a zoo, but the animals got out,” remarks one member of the crew. It takes the characters some time to realize just how much danger they’re in, though Alex Lawther’s Hermit seems to understand by the end of the trailer.
Yet despite all of that hype and positive initial feedback skepticism seemed to be rampant. But as reviewers are now seeing the actual finished product these doubting Thomases are coming around. Witness the HOUSTON CHRONICLE’s Michael Ordona who dropped this admission of having crow as part of his food regimen yesterday:
When FX announced it was developing a TV series from the “Alien” franchise, fans might have expected its makers to have egg on their faces. But it turns out Emmy-winning screenwriter Noah Hawley was the right person to hatch something unexpected and layered that should have fans’ chests bursting with joy. “Alien: Earth” occurs between the latest two Ridley Scott films – “Prometheus” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017), which had somewhat philosophical bents – and Scott’s original 1979 “Alien.” Set two years before the events of “Alien,” it reveals the company-mandated detour that sent Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her crew to investigate a “distress call” wasn’t the Weyland-Yutani corporation’s first attempt to bring xenomorphs back for R&D.
Creator Hawley…connects us to the world executive producer Scott introduced us to in his 1979 classic with callbacks to its production design, technology and hints of Jerry Goldsmith’s superb score. Then the show’s storytelling emerges from that host and evolves into its own thing. The cinematography is of theatrical quality, as are the production design and visual effects. Once the story and filmmaking settle into their idiosyncratic groove, the series only becomes more and more engrossing.
And when the combination of revering what was and introducing tentacles for a new generation to grasp and adore is working, it’s absolute poetry in motion. We saw such an approach work brilliantly for FX with SHOGUN which steamrolled last year’s Emmy Awards with a record 18 victories. It’s clear that they are determined to challenge that total in 2026–and beyond.
That’s in part because SUPER HERO HYPE’s
While speaking with ScreenTime, Ceesay, Olyphant, and Blenkin mentioned that all three of their Alien: Earth characters would express a lot of interest if they ever came across a Predator in a possible crossover movie or TV series.
Ceesay, who portrays a cybernetically enhanced cyborg named Morrow in the upcoming series, noted, “Morrow would relish it, I think, like deep fascination.” Meanwhile, Olyphant, who plays the role of Kirsh, the synthetic mentor and trainer of Sydney Chandler’s Wendy, reiterated Ceesay’s sentiments by providing a collective answer for the trio. He looked at both of his co-stars before stating, “Same, right? I feel like we’re all playing.”
On the other hand, Sam Blenkin seemed to have a calmer reaction in mind for his Alien: Earth character potentially meeting a Predator. As he plays the billionaire CEO of the Prodigy Corporation, Boy Kavalier, who remains in constant pursuit of knowledge and authority, Blenkin noted, “I think, oddly enough, we’d all be delighted. I’d probably introduce myself as ‘Hi, I’m Boy Kavalier!’”
And that’s apparentlynot mere promo-speak as Rastogi further noted:
So far, the two intergalactic horror franchises have spawned two crossover films, 2004’s Alien vs. Predator and the 2007 sequel Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. Notably, Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg has already given his approval to the idea of making another similar film, stating, “It would be awesome to be able to tell more stories that have further connections,” in a recent interview. Aspects of the Alien franchise are also expected to feature in Predator: Badlands.
To their credit, FX and Hulu will be taking the more traditional weekly episodic route for this after tonight’s obligatory double dip beginning at 8 PM ET sharp, then continuing through September 23rd every Tuesday night. With scant little other original content of similar scale scheduled against it or around it, and straight through Emmy Week. And if I know those savvy FX publicists, especially with this being John Solberg’s last hurrah heading up that team, they’re gonna milk the dialogue and zeitgeist of both Hollywood and fandom at every opportunity.
Well, consider this me throwing my small but eager hat in the ring. I’m definitely watching tonight, and I’m willing to bet you now might be more inclined to join me.
Until next time…