The membrane separating movies from TV has never been thinner, as one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises suddenly has more prosects on the small screen than the cinema. FX has renewed Alien: Earth for a second season, which will begin filming later this year. By comparison, the studios behind the Alien franchise still haven’t committed to their next movie project, with a sequel to Alien: Romulus in development, but nowhere near production as far as we know. Alien: Earth was a massive success for FX and Hulu, and it’s clear the network wants to keep up the momentum. This could be good news for the franchise overall, but an increased investment in TV could mean fewer xenomorphs on the big screen in the years to come.
The Alien franchise spread throughout popular media as fast as a facehugger could scuttle after it debuted in 1979. The xenomorphs have become a staple of comic books over the decades, and have seen a lot of success in sci-fi novels and audio dramas too. There are also video games, toys, theme park attractions, and crossover films — yet somehow the Alien franchise didn’t make it to TV until last summer. That may be a good thing for, as the age of streaming and prestige TV made Alien: Earth feel cinematic. However, with this avenue open, the future of Alien on the big screen could be going into cryosleep.
‘Alien: Earth’ Could Be The New Franchise Flagship
It looks like Alien: Earth exceeded expectations for FX and Hulu, at least judging by the network’s enthusiasm since it aired. The show got decent ratings both on TV and streaming according to Nielsen, and it was beloved by critics and fans. FX was quick to renew the series, securing the cast and creators before they could find other work. TV legend Peter Dinklage is even joining the main cast in Season 2.
Showrunner Noah Hawley is hoping this isn’t the show’s last renewal, either. In an interview with Collider, he said that he has a long-term plan for this story, and he’s not even sure how many seasons it might take to tell it. However, he added that he and his crew “could go for as long as we want” if the audience is still receptive. FX has only committed to one more season so far, but the network must believe in Hawley’s plan on some level to keep investing in him.
By contrast, work on future Alien movies has been much slower and more cautious. After the release of Alien Resurrection in 1997, we got two Alien vs. Predator spinoffs, which are not considered canonical, and two prequels which fans are divided on, to say the least. Alien: Romulus arguably hit all the same markers of success as Alien: Earth, yet plans for the next movie have still not been solidified. There were reports that the franchise might move onto a different spinoff angle, but the most recent reports indicate that Fede Álvarez will return to write another script, but he will hand over directorial duties to someone else — likely Michael Sarnoski.
Even that is just an unverified report, and it does not come with the same commitment as a renewal announcement from FX. Of course, this is partly due to the different natures of movies and TV — while Alien: Earth needs to secure its cast and crew for another season, the next movie might not need the same characters, and it might benefit from a change in creative lineup. Still, from the outside it looks like the studios are placing equal faith in the movie medium that Alien was incubated in, and the TV medium it just recently took over.
The ‘Alien’ Franchise Needs New Stories to Adapt
Whether movies or TV shows are the best medium for the Alien franchise may be up for debate, but either way, Romulus and Earth have similar storytelling approaches that contributed to their success. Both finally moved the Alien franchise away from the prequel continuity of Prometheus and Covenant, and that seems to be the right move. The prequels were not universally hated, but the focus on worldbuilding and exploring the origins of the xenomorphs did not match with the franchise’s horror roots.
Keeping this approach seems to be the real key, regardless of screen size. Alien must put its lore and continuity on the back burner without completely ignoring or contradicting it. Romulus and Earth both did okay in this regard, but they’re still facing a tightrope walk in the future.
Beyond that, it may be up to fans to vote with their dollars on where they see xenomorphs in the years to come. Alien: Romulus was a box office hit, but ticket sales may not be able to keep up with the instant gratification of streaming at home. Xenomorphs can adapt to thrive in any environment, so we’ll have to see which medium suits it better. Alien: Earth and Alien: Romulus are streaming now on Hulu, and Alien: Earth Season 2 begins filming later this year. There’s no word on when it might premiere.
- Release Date
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August 12, 2025
- Directors
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Dana Gonzales, Ugla Hauksdóttir, Noah Hawley
- Writers
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Bob DeLaurentis
