Alien: Earth Explained - Timeline, Story & Possible Movie Connections

Alien: Earth is set to break new ground for the decades-old franchise as the monsters arrive in a more familiar setting, but connections to the rest of the franchise remain ambiguous. Alien debuted in 1979, when the groundbreaking Ridley Scott film smashed sci-fi and horror together in a way that has innovated both genres. Since then, the franchise has grown to include spectacular sequels, with some of the biggest directors of all time stepping in to lend their voice to the iconic series.

Now, the series is set to transform and adapt just like the Xenomorphs that inhabit the stories as Alien: Earth will see a story in this universe take place on Earth. In addition to the brand-new setting, Alien: Earth will also be a TV series, which, according to those involved, is "designed to be an ongoing series," (via Deadline). However, outside a brief 16-second teaser, details about the project are still scarce.

Alien: Earth Is Set Around The Same Time As Prometheus & 30 Years Before Alien

The Alien Timeline Explained

According to details about the upcoming series, the show is set to take place roughly 30 years before the events of the original movie. This places the Alien: Earth story in approximately the year 2092. This is an interesting choice for the setting as it overlaps almost precisely with the events of the prequel film, Prometheus. Of course, the story in Prometheus sees humans first encounter the Space Jockeys on a distant, and largely uninhabited planet far from Earth, but Alien: Earth may challenge that.

However, with the setting in approximately 2092, it should make for an interesting introduction to the killer aliens that are capable of wiping out entire species as they presumably get their first glimpse at what the Earth has to offer. This may also provide a new origin story for the alien species as it is set at the earliest point seen in the franchise to date. Whether this overlaps with, or overrides, Prometheus' origin story remains to be seen.

Alien: Earth's Story Explained: What It's About & Who The Characters Are

The Story That Sees Xenomorphs Come To Earth

With Alien: Earth expected to begin streaming on Hulu in 2025, the plot remains largely under wraps. However, a brief logline detailing the basic premise has been revealed:

When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.

Clearly, the setting will be Earth, as is suggested by the title, but it appears that the alien Xenomorphs have crash-landed on Earth in an unidentified ship. From there, the story appears to be similar to many of the previous Alien films. A group of soldiers, led by a young woman, approach the mysterious vessel, and learn of the existence of one of the most utterly terrifying creatures in the universe. How this threat spreads, and if the aliens will be successful in spreading out further to more populated areas is unknown, but this series could spell out the end of human life on Earth if the aliens get their way.

And in addition to Sydney Chandler who will be leading the cast, there will be several other notable actors joining the crew for Alien: Earth. Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Essie Davis are just a few of the incredibly talented individuals who will round out the cast and add depth to the story as it plays out across multiple episodes, and potentially seasons if season 1 performs as well as the studios hope. Who these actors will play has yet to be disclosed, but with a group of soldiers at the heart of the story, many are expected to be involved with the military in various capacities.

Is Alien: Earth Connected To The Movies? How The Weyland-Yutani Origins Can Link To The Other Films

Despite Sharing A Universe, Is Alien: Earth Connected To The Franchise

Connections between the Alien: Earth TV series and the rest of the franchise are unclear, although the series is being positioned as a prequel to the original Alien film with the former taking place 30 years earlier. Considering the original Alien movie featured a crew that were wholly unaware of the mysterious alien life forms that presented such a huge threat, it would appear that whatever Alien: Earth reveals will have little impact on the other films. However, it could present an interesting connection through the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

Within the lore of the franchise, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation was not properly established until 2099. It was at this point that the Weyland Corp merged with Yutani to create something larger. Alien: Earth provides the ideal setting to dig into this history, and explore the relationships between the two organizations and their founders, and the eventual partnership. It could also reveal their initial interest in the alien life forms stretching back decades before Ripley and her crew came face to face with such monsters.

Does Alien: Earth & Alien: Romulus Have A Connection?

Alien: Earth and Alien: Romulus are set 50 years apart within the Alien universe. While this means there is going to be very little crossover in terms of story, characters, and current events, both are likely to discuss the Weyland-Yutani Corporation that has been so central in the series throughout. This relationship between the two projects may appear minimal, but the effects of Alien: Earth could have played a major role in the story of Alien: Romulus. Namely, the reason why the Weyland-Yutani company had such a vested interest in, and years of research dedicated to, the Xenomorph.

Alien: Romulus revealed that a small group of researchers were dedicated to studying the aliens, and attempting to find ways to infuse their DNA, and their ability to adapt, into the human genome. While this research may have begun after the events of Alien, or at any time within the universe, it's possible that these creatures were first witnessed on Earth, before dedicating research to their study. Regardless, Alien: Earth is sure to be an exciting and wild journey for fans of the franchise, expanding the beloved stories in innovative and incredible new ways.