Alien: Earth - Release date speculation and latest news for FX series
Everything you need to know about the upcoming Alien series set before Ridley Scott's 1979 classic.
As we approach the release of Alien: Earth, the first long-form series in the Alien franchise, we have started to get more information, including some cast confirmations and some eerie – and surprising – first-look teasers.
In some newly released clips, we see video logs seemingly from on board some sort of ship, as well as a ginger cat that bares a striking resemblance Jonesy, the cat onboard the Nostromo in Ridley Scott's original 1979 film.
The new show is the first project in the Alien franchise to be set primarily on Earth, and it comes to Hulu and Disney Plus from Legion and Fargo creator Noah Hawley.
The series, which will star Sugar's Sydney Chandler and Justified's Timothy Olyphant, arrives after last year's Alien: Romulus, which was well-received and has birthed rumours of its own sequel being developed.
But as anticipation builds for Alien: Earth, when will it actually be released and what else do we know about it? Read on for everything you need to know about Alien: Earth.
When will Alien: Earth be released?
We don't yet have an official release date for Alien: Earth, but we do know it will arrive on Disney Plus in the UK in summer 2025.
It's been a long road to the screen for the series, which was first announced back in 2020, and wrapped filming in July 2024. It will be made up of eight episodes.
What is Alien: Earth about?
Alien: Earth will be set two years before the events of the first Alien film, and the official synopsis says: "When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (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.
"As members of the crash recovery crew search for survivors among the wreckage, they encounter mysterious predatory life forms more terrifying than they could have ever imagined. With this new threat unlocked, the search crew must fight for survival and what they choose to do with this discovery could change planet Earth as they know it."
FX boss John Landgraf previously revealed that the series would be "set not too far into our future", and set it would be a blend of Alien's horror and Aliens's action.
He said: "By blending both the timeless horror of the first Alien film with the non-stop action of the second, it's going to be a scary thrill ride that will blow people back in their seats."
Landgraf also revealed that the show is intended to be "an ongoing series", meaning if the first season is well received and highly viewed it is likely to return for season 2.
More recently, the show's creator Noah Hawley told Deadline: "There’s something about seeing a Xenomorph in the wilds of Earth with your own eyes. That is truly chilling to think of it moving here among us, and so I can’t tell you under what circumstances you’ll see that, but you’ll see it — and you’re going to lock your door that night.
"What was really fun for me was to really engage with the creature, bring some of my own thoughts to the design while not touching the silhouette, because that’s sacrosanct. But some of the elements as we know, whatever the host is, informs what the final creature is. I just wanted to play around a little bit to make it as scary as it should be."
Who will star in Alien: Earth?
The cast of Alien: Earth will be led by Sydney Chandler, who will play a meta-human Wendy, and Timothy Olyphant, who will play her synth mentor.
Also in the central cast for the series are Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin and Adrian Edmondson, amongst others.
Meanwhile, a new group of guest stars have been announced, including Never Have I Ever's Richa Moorjani, Severance's Karen Aldridge, The Crown's Enzo Cilenti and Industry's Max Rinehart.
Here's a full list of the central cast for the show:
- Sydney Chandler as Wendy
- Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh
- Alex Lawther as CJ
- Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier
- Essie Davis as Dame Silvia
- Adarsh Gourav as Slightly
- Kit Young as Tootles
- David Rysdahl as TBC
- Babou Ceesay as TBC
- Jonathan Ajayi as TBC
- Erana James as TBC
- Lily Newmark as TBC
- Diêm Camille as TBC
- Adrian Edmondson as TBC
- Sandra Yi Sencindiver as TBC
- Richa Moorjani as TBC
- Karen Aldridge as TBC
- Enzo Cilenti as TBC
- Max Rinehart as TBC
- Amir Boutrous as TBC
- Victoria Masoma as TBC
- Tom Moya as TBC
- Andy Yu as TBC
- Michael Smiley as TBC
- Jamie Bisping as TBC
- Tanapol Chuksrida as TBC
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Is there a trailer for Alien: Earth?
We haven't got a full trailer yet, but we did get a creepy first teaser, released towards the end of 2024.
You can watch that here now.
Another teaser was also revealed in January 2025, which you can watch below.
Alien: Earth will be released in 2025. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
