We’re getting a clearer idea of when in the Alien franchise timeline the upcoming TV show is set.
According to Deadline, FX’s Alien series is set at the end of this century, a few years before Prometheus (2093) and some 30 years before Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror Alien.
Alien is set in the year 2122, which means this Alien prequel series is set in the early 2090s, much closer to Prometheus and Alien: Covenant in the franchise timeline. FX’s show is the first project in the Alien franchise to take place on Earth. Deadline reports it will deal with the emergence of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the race between corporations to create new android life.
In January, showrunner Noah Hawley explained why he is not using the backstory provided in Prometheus for his Alien prequel series, saying he likes the "retro-futurism" of the original films. Hawley said he spoke to Scott about "many, many elements" of the Alien series, including its ties to the prequels, but ultimately decided to cut loose and move away from the bioweapon backstory because he preferred the lore of the original films.
Meanwhile, Deadline reports Foundation star Sandra Yi Sencindiver has joined the cast, playing a senior member of Weyland-Yutani with scope to return in future series.
It’s a busy time for Alien. While FX’s show is some way off, new movie Alien: Romulus is due out this August. Its recently released first trailer prompted fans to re-evaluate two of the franchise's most divisive entries: 2012's Prometheus and 2017's Alien: Covenant.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
