The highly anticipated series “Alien: Earth” debuted on Tuesday, August 12, delivering a fresh take on the iconic franchise established by Ridley Scott in 1979. The picture, set aboard the starship Nostromo in the year 2120, chronicles the crew’s horrific, unpredictable journey. When they pick up a distress signal from an alien vessel, they quickly switch gears to rescue as soon as possible. Series creator Noah Hawley, who draws inspiration from the original film, has undertaken this ambitious project with Scott joining as an executive producer.
The first two episodes of “Alien: Earth” premiered on Hulu and FX, captivating audiences with its promising blend of science fiction and horror. New episodes will be releasing every Tuesday through mid-September, giving listeners an opportunity to dive deep into this chilling tale.
A Glimpse into the Plot
“Alien: Earth” focuses on Wendy, portrayed by Sydney Chandler, a groundbreaking hybrid prototype that symbolizes a new era in humanity’s quest for immortality. The series presents a future where Earth is dominated by five powerful corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. The USCSS Maginot, an unregistered deep space research vessel, crash-lands on Earth. As danger looms over the Nighthawk Academy, Wendy and her band of tactical soldiers must protect their team from a hidden menace that threatens to decimate them.
“When a mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, ‘Wendy’ and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.”
Chandler heads a stellar ensemble, featuring the always-fantastic Timothy Olyphant as Kirsch. Completing the main cast include Alex Lawther as Hermit and Babou Ceesay as Morrow. The ensemble is filled with dazzling performers. It stars Samuel Blenkin, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, David Rysdahl, Essie Davis, Lily Newmark, Erana James and Moe Bar-El.
The Return of the Xenomorph
The series will reintroduce the terrifying Xenomorph which originally terrified audiences in the first installment of the series. Fans are especially excited to see how it will be adapted! Director Dana Gonzales teased that audiences would be seeing more of the Xeno than ever.
“We show more of the Xenomorph than everybody else has shown.” – Dana Gonzales
Gonzales went into more detail about how the series will bring this legendary creature to life through its story. And more than all of that, he sounded confident that audiences will love this new approach.
“Later on, you realize why we do that; it doesn’t just become a character that’s coming out of a dark hole. There’s this point where it’s going to be much more present. Finding that language of how to get there starts with the first episode of giving fans what they hope to be tuning in for.” – Dana Gonzales
Creative Challenges and Inspirations
Creating “Alien: Earth” posed significant challenges for Hawley. He did recognize that the pressures of taking over a franchise as beloved and established were certainly hefty, but was still hopeful for the ability to be innovative.
“Well, I’ll never do this thing again.” – Noah Hawley
In a Netflix interview, Hawley said the limited series hopes to inspire similar outrage as the original film when it was released. He noted that the whole purpose of the show is to provide people with an experience they won’t forget.
“We’ve now put another idea in your head the same way that ‘JAWS’ kept people out of the ocean.” – Noah Hawley
With its combination of established lore and innovative storytelling, “Alien: Earth” positions itself as a compelling addition to the franchise. As viewers embark on this thrilling journey through space and corporate intrigue, they can expect both nostalgia and fresh perspectives on beloved characters and elements.
