Ridley Scott’s Alien Prequel Is So Good, It’s Already Been Renewed for Season 2

Published Aug 2, 2026, 1:58 PM EDT Julio is a Senior Author for Collider. He studied History and International Relations at university, but found his calling in cultural journalism. When he isn't writing, Julio also teaches English at a nearby school. He has lived in São Paulo most of his life, where he covers CCXP and other big events. Having loved movies, music, and TV from an early age, he prides himself in knowing every minute detail about the things he loves. When he is older, he dreams of owning a movie theater in a small countryside town. Few franchises have grown as much as Alien in recent years, and fewer still have managed to remain relevant. Alien: Earth marks the franchise's first-ever foray into television with arguably the best entry since 1986's Aliens, evidenced by its whopping 94% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. Created by TV veteran Noah Hawley and featuring insight from Ridley Scott himself (who also serves as an executive producer), Alien: Earth's premise is simple: what would happen if a Xenomorph ever found its way to Earth? The series approaches this question far more realistically and coherently than, for example, the Alien vs. Predator movies, and dedicates a lot of its runtime to expanding the franchise's boundaries and reconnecting to some of its fundamental issues. Fortunately, Season 2 is already on the way. ‘Alien: Earth’ Provides the Backdrop for the Original ‘Alien’ Film Unlike most entries in other franchises, Alien: Earth doesn't require much to be enjoyed; if you know the 1979 movie, you're good to go. The FX series is set two years before the events of the original film and, therefore, reflects many aspects of the story that started it all — including the idea of major corporations taking over people's lives, advanced technology capable of building robots that are basically indistinguishable from humans, and, of course, the Xenomorph. It all begins when the science vessel USCSS Maginot, owned by Weyland-Yutani, crashes into the city of New Siam. The world is divided between five mega-corporations, including Prodigy, which controls the city, and the Maginot crash kicks off a competition to retrieve as many of the ship's assets as possible. Among said assets are many alien specimens, including a Xenomorph that escapes into the city. To ensure his ownership over the Maginot's spoils, Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), Prodigy founder and the world's youngest trillionaire, deploys his "Lost Boys," an elite team of "hybrids" — humans whose consciousness has been uploaded into synthetic bodies. Obsessed with eternal youth and with a clear god-complex, Kavalier orders everything brought back to Prodigy's Neverland headquarters, where things slowly unravel beyond his control as the Lost Boys, led by Wendy (Sydney Chandler), start to express more autonomy than anyone expected. 'Alien: Earth' Expands on the Franchise’s Most Important Themes Image via FX on Hulu The introduction of hybrids is one of the boldest and best aspects of Alien: Earth, tying all the way back to the original Alien, when the synthetic Ash (Ian Holm) is revealed to be working as a Weyland-Yutani mole on the USCSS Nostromo. There are plenty of synthetics in Alien: Earth, too, like the Lost Boys' mentor, Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant), but the show's focus is primarily devoted to the ways in which technology and humanity clash. Chandler's Wendy is the undeniable protagonist, as the series follows her efforts to comprehend her new existence. Originally a terminally ill young girl named Marcy Hermit, she was put inside a synthetic body as part of Prodigy's experimental program, leaving behind everything from her old life, including her brother, Joe (Alex Lawther). All the "Lost Boys" have undergone the same procedure, becoming essentially overgrown children with indestructible bodies. Hybrids aren't the only new addition to Alien lore. While Boy Kavalier is the ideological antagonist, the biggest physical threat is the cyborg Morrow (Babou Ceesay), the only survivor of the Maginot crash and a dedicated Weyland-Yutani security officer. Morrow remains largely human, but his body carries significant cybernetic enhancements. While androids strive to be human, and cyborgs stand in compelling contrast, the hybrids are a combination of the two, and the clashes between the three groups are fascinating to watch. ‘Alien: Earth’ Introduces Other Species as Deadly as the Xenomorph The most iconic trait of the franchise, however, is the Xenomorph itself, and there's plenty of it in Alien: Earth. While Scott's most recent movies sought to explain how the creature came into being, the series keeps it as simple as possible, emphasizing its existence as "the perfect organism," as it's described in Alien, and the apex predator of space. Surprisingly, the monster relates differently to each character, becoming the thread that ties the whole story together. The Xenomorph isn't the most dangerous species in Alien: Earth, a concept which felt impossible before the series premiered. However, the series introduces an even deadlier, smarter, and creepier creature in the T. Ocellus. This tentacled single eyeball is on the way to asserting itself as the single most intelligent being in the series, jumping into other beings' eye sockets and hijacking their bodies. It's the literal stuff of nightmares, which, for Alien, is saying something. There still isn't a confirmed date for the T. Ocellus and the Xenomorph to return with Alien: Earth Season 2, but production is already underway, so it shouldn't be long before our first glimpse of footage arrives. Considering how "respectful" the series is to Scott's original (as he has said himself) and Hawley's track record with quality television shows, there's a lot to be excited about.