Why Has It Taken Nearly 50 Years for an Alien TV Series? The Creators of Alien: Earth Explain
The iconic Alien franchise has finally landed on television with the new FX Original series Alien: Earth, available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally. But why did it take almost half a century for this sci-fi horror classic to make the leap from cinema screens to the small screen?
Since its debut in 1979 with Sigourney Weaver’s groundbreaking film, every Alien story has been a movie, from the cult originals to the recent 2024 sequel Alien: Resurrection.
Television has long been untouched territory for the franchise. That’s now changed, thanks largely to the shifting landscape of the entertainment industry.
Noah Hawley, the show’s creator and known for hits like Fargo and Legion, has shed light on why it took so long for Alien to make the TV transition.
“A two-hour Alien movie is a survival story, right?” he said. “Other than how expensive it would be, the obstacle of bringing the franchise to television is ‘well, what other story could we tell?'”
Hawley points out that traditional Alien films focus heavily on tense monster-chase plots, which don’t naturally lend themselves to a TV series format.
“It [an Alien film] is about monsters and people running for their lives,” he explained. “That’s not a TV show with any staying power.”
Instead, Alien: Earth uses the established universe as a foundation to explore new themes and narratives. “Part of the reason why it [Alien: Earth] worked is because I use the IP [intellectual property] as a starting point to explore my own themes and issues, and build a story within the Alien world.”
The timing has also played a critical role. As producer David W. Zucker revealed, “The truth is, corporately, the franchise has been owned by the film division [20th Century Studios].
It only became possible when we were given access to it [the Alien franchise] and then tried to find a place, such as FX, that would support this kind of vision.”
The rise of streaming platforms like Hulu and Disney+ has drastically changed the financial and creative possibilities for TV projects.
Budgets that once were exclusive to Hollywood blockbusters can now be matched by television series, enabling Alien: Earth to deliver a scale and intensity on par with its movie predecessors.
The show’s eight-episode run promises a blend of horror, drama, and action that honours the legacy while pushing boundaries. The creators faced the challenge of balancing these elements, but Hawley believes they succeeded.
“There are challenges with the scale of this show, balancing the drama, horror, and action, etc., but I think we accomplished all of that.”
Alien: Earth premieres with two episodes on August 12 in North and South America, and on August 13 elsewhere, including the UK. Fans and newcomers alike can expect a fresh take on an enduring universe, proving that sometimes the best stories take time to evolve.
