Alien: Earth is finally here, and despite only releasing a few episodes, it's already become a fast sci-fi obsession of ours. If you've watched all the Alien movies in order, then you'd know that Ridley Scott's original 1979 outing isn't just one of the best horror movies of all time, but also introduced us to a fascinating sci-fi world, complete with terrifying creatures that burst out of chests, hug faces and have a habbit of spitting acid all over the place.
For years, xenomorphs have been haunting the big screen, and with prequel stories such as Prometheus building up lore, we're thrilled to see the franchise get a chance to expand with a new series that takes place years before Ellen Ripley's first encounter with the deadly lifeform. With Fargo creator Noah Hawley as showrunner, and some complications around the Alien: Earth timeline, we expect to see some more changes, though, as the show continues. In fact, despite our glowing Alien: Earth review, the changes that we've already seen can get a tad confusing even for the most seasoned Alien fan. So with that in mind, we've decided to create a helpful guide on everything that you need to know about the series as more episodes head our way.
Below you'll find information on the Alien: Earth release schedule, a complete cast list, trailers, a spoiler-free plot deep dive, and more. So what are you waiting for? Get ahead of the game and get ready to face some small-screen xenomorphs!
Alien: Earth release date
Alien: Earth was released on August 12 in the US and August 13 in the UK. The show is on Hulu in the US and Disney Plus in the UK, with two episodes dropping at once, then the rest following weekly. Season one will finish on September 23 with the release of episode eight.
Filming on Alien: Earth wrapped in summer 2024, with creator Noah Hawley confirming that the team was busy in post-production shortly afterwards. While editing and adding visual effects on anything sci-fi-related takes time, it makes sense for Alien: Earth to capitalize on the renewed hype for the franchise that the 2024 movie Alien: Romulus created.
If you want to keep up with the show, you can also head on over to our guide breaking down the Alien: Earth release schedule.
Alien: Earth trailer
The first teaser trailer for Alien: Earth was a 15-second clip featuring a blood-dripping Xenomorph and ending with a jump scare. We see Planet Earth before its shape slowly turns into a Xenomorph and screeches at the viewer. Because we know that Noah Hawley doesn't play around when it comes to violence (thanks to Fargo) and that he plans to follow the aesthetic from Alien and Aliens, we know this is going to be quite the scary ride.
Our best look yet, though, was the official trailer below. This ship has collected five different lifeforms from the darkest corners of the universe," Babou Ceesay's Morrow whispers ominously in the clip. Later, we see a couple of characters logging details of a jellyfish-like specimen on a computer, to which its description reads: "Ocular irises and a tentacle system that can grow or retract at will. The tentacles carry extraordinary strength and are built to climb into and dislodge the eyes of other living organisms.
"Once replaced in the eye socket, [it] takes over the ocular pathways to the brain, overriding the neurotransmissions throughout the body," it continues. Truly nightmarish stuff.
We're still holding out hope that one of the "five lifeforms" mentioned turns out to be a Predator, after fans convinced themselves (and subsequently, us) that they could hear the ultimate hunter's iconic snarl in an earlier teaser.
Alien: Earth plot
The new TV series is a prequel to the original 1979 Alien, taking place in 2120 – just two years before Ellen Ripley encountered her first xenomorph aboard the Nostromo. It's set in an era where "five corporations – Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold – wield the power of nations."
It centers more specifically on Wendy (Sydney Chandler), a synthetic with the body of an adult woman and the mind of a child, who comes face to face with the eponymous creature, after she and a bunch of fellow hybrids are tasked with investigating a crash-landed spaceship in Prodigy City. Thanks to a first-look deep dive from Vanity Fair, we now know that the vessel Wendy and her pals venture into is the USCSS Maginot, a Weyland-Yutani freighter. Ruh roh.
A new Special Look Trailer for ‘ALIEN: EARTH’ has been released.#AlienEarth hits Disney+ this Summer! pic.twitter.com/tWVeFJRwtTMarch 22, 2025
While it had previously been reported that Alien: Earth would not bridge the gaps between the Alien timeline, instead focusing on the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's race to develop robotic life, Vanity Fair's write-up paints a slightly different picture.
"I don't yet know, in terms of the series from beginning to end, how much time is going to pass or where we're going to end up," Hawley told the publication, suggesting that possible future seasons could creep into crossover territory. "But I do know that at a certain point, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation is going to divert the Nostromo to that planet. We have the opportunity to maybe see what was happening on the other side of that phone call."
One thing's for certain: we're going to get lots of xenomorph action. "There's something about seeing a xenomorph in the wilds of Earth with your own eyes," Hawley teased to Deadline. "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." We've been promised more xenomorph screentime than any of the movies, and that the show will also include a bunch of different creatures
The director also stated that the creature will look different from what we have seen before but will still keep the same silhouette, calling that detail "sacrosanct." Hawley added, "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."
As more episodes drop, we'll keep you posted on any big story reveals as they come. In the meantime, we have managed to gather a list of all the Alien: Earth Easter Eggs so far, if you're looking for any potential clues on the direction of the show's narrative.
Alien: Earth cast
The cast for Alien: Earth is stacked with stars who have appeared in several of the best TV shows around, such as Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, and Fargo. You may recognize names such as Timothy Olyphant (who starred in the likes of The Mandalorian and Scream 2) or Alex Lawther (as seen in Black Mirror and Andor).
While we don't know specific details on most characters, we've scoured the internet to find out their names. Check out the complete Alien: Earth cast list below:
- Sydney Chandler as Wendy
- Alex Lawther as CJ
- Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier
- Essie Davis as Dame Silvia
- Adarsh Gourav as Slightly
- Kit Young as Tootles
- Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh
- David Rysdahl as Arthur
- Babou Ceesay as Morrow
- Jonathan Ajayi as Smee
- Erana James as Curly
- Lily Newmark as Nibs
- Diêm Camille as Siberian
- Adrian Edmondson as Atom Enis
- Moe Bar-El as Rashidi
- Sandra Yi Sencindiver
Where can I watch Alien: Earth?
You can now watch Alien: Earth on Hulu if you are in the US and on Star via Disney Plus if you're not. For UK readers, it seems like Disney Plus will be your go-to.
Given how other FX series, such as What We Do In The Shadows, have arrived on Disney Plus or the BBC, we assume that the upcoming Alien series will be heading to either of those two streaming hubs in the future.
Keep your eyes on this guide as we update you on the latest streaming news. While we wait, you can also check out our list of the best movies on Disney Plus to watch right now!
For more outer-world fun, check out our lists of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix and the best Alien movies ever made.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
