Some good news, Xenomorph fans! After nearly two years of hearing about it, FX’s Alien TV show from Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) is finally pressing forth in a significant way. As reported by Deadline, FX head John Landgraf has revealed that filming on the first-ever live-action series within the iconic sci-fi/horror franchise is set to begin in 2023. And, assuming everything goes well, the show could also debut later next year.
According to the report, Landgraf also said that Hawley has submitted all of the scripts for the show, which will take place on Earth. There is no word yet on whether or not this is being eyed as a limited series or if the plan is to have it go multiple seasons. Ridley Scott, director of the original Alien, Alien: Covenant and Prometheus, is on board as a producer. The report notes that Landgraf had previously pegged 2023 as a possible release target for the show, which was announced in late 2020.
Casting details have yet to be revealed, but with the scripts now submitted, one has to imagine we’ll be hearing word on that front sooner rather than later. One thing is for sure: don’t expect to see any familiar faces. It had previously been confirmed that this show would take things much further back in the timeline and take place on Earth. While the Alien vs. Predator movies took place on our little blue planet, none of the films in the official canon have had an Earth-bound setting. Speaking earlier this year with The Hollywood Reporter, Landgraf had this to say about the show’s story:
“Alien takes place before Ripley. It’s the first story in the Alien franchise that takes place on Earth. It takes place on our planet, near the end of this century we’re currently in — 70-odd years from now. All I can tell you is Ripley won’t be a part of it, and neither will any other characters — other than the alien itself.”
This marks a major moment in the franchise’s history as it will be bringing it to the small screen for the first time. Not to mention the Earth of it all. The last film was 2017’s Covenant, and, unfortunately, it didn’t perform as well as Fox had hoped at the box office. As a result, Scott’s plans for a further sequel were scrapped. The good news is that another Alien movie from director Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) is in the works for Hulu in addition to the series.
The Alien TV show does not yet have a release date set.
