In space, no one can hear you scream. On Earth, however, it’s an entirely different matter. After decades of face hugging, chest bursting and spraying acidic blood in the farthest reaches of space, cinema’s most terrifying extra-terrestrials are heading our way in the upcoming Alien: Earth series.
Set to premiere on Disney+ on August 13, this latest instalment in the long-running science fiction franchise will finally see the infamous Xenomorphs swap the coldness of space for ripe hunting grounds of a near future Earth. With this in mind, we thought it timely to check under our beds for lurking face huggers and take a look at what we can expect from the new show.
Sydney Chandler as Wendy
How Does It Fit Into The Wider Franchise?
While 2004’s Alien vs. Predator may have been the first-time audiences saw what happened when Xenomorphs found themselves planet side on Earth, the events of those crossover movies are largely considered non-canonical. Instead, Alien: Earth is intentionally set in the timeline of the films we all know and love and is officially a prequel set two years before the events of 1979’s Alien.
As to whether this new show will also seek to retcon Ridley Scott’s previous prequel entries, 2012’s Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant, remains to be seen, however series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley (Fargo) has already confirmed that it will stick more closely to both the look and mythology of the original movie.
So, The Aliens Were On Earth Before Crossing Paths With Ellen Ripley?
So it would seem, and not just Xenomorphs. Teaser trailers for Alien: Earth have already hinted at the show’s main setup, and have revealed that a Weyland-Yutani ship carrying five different species of extra-terrestrial terrors is on a collision course with Earth.
When the ship crashes, a group of tactical soldiers and a hybrid (someone with the body of a synthetic and consciousness of a human) will be the ones to uncover the threat of its deadly cargo.
Jonathan Ajayi as Smee, Adarsh Gourav as Slightly, Sydney Chandler as Wendy, Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh, Kit Young as Tootles, Erana James as Curly, Lily Newmark as Nibs
Who Is In The New Show?
The latest heroine in the Alien franchise is set to be played Sydney Chandler (Sugar, Don’t Worry Darling). With Alien: Earth set to introduce a new range of technologies within the established universe, Chandler is set to portray Wendy, the first ever hybrid. An android with the consciousness of a human child, Wendy was created by Weyland-Yutani’s main corporate rivals, the Prodigy Corporation.
Joining Chandler is TV veteran and Mandalorian actor Timothy Olyphant, who is set to portray the synthetic Kirsh. Serving as Wendy’s mentor and protector, this new series is also set to heavily explore the role of robots in the Alien universe, as well as the corporate entities engaged in arms race to perfect the technology.
Other confirmed cast members include: Alex Lawther (Andor), Samuel Blenkin (The Sandman), Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger), Kit Young (Shadow and Bone), and homegrown Aussie star Essie Davis (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries).
The first two episodes of Alien: Earth are scheduled to arrive on Disney+ on August 13, with the remaining six episodes dropping weekly thereafter.
