After several delays in filming, more details are starting to emerge about Noah Hawley’s Alien prequel TV series. The chairman of the FX network – John Landgraf – has said that Hawley has turned in all of the scripts for the series, and it’s set to begin shooting in 2023.
As part of the Television Critics Association summer press tour (via IndieWire), Landgraf has also provided some details regarding the tone of the series; “I’m a big fan of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) and I remember watching both of them in the theatre and how shockingly original and surprising each of them was in its own way,” Landgraf said.
“And so, similar to his approach to Fargo, Noah decided to not take Ripley or any character from Alien – except perhaps the xenomorph itself – but go back and figure out what made the franchise so great and so durable in the first place and see if he could find an experience that felt like walking into a theatre and seeing one of those first two movies, where you get caught off guard.”
Given that Ridley Scott made two Alien prequel movies himself – Prometheus and Alien: Covenant – with plans for a third, it’s not clear if Hawley’s series will acknowledge them as canon, or ignore them. Scott has been busy with other projects, including releasing two movies a month apart in 2021 – The Last Duel and House of Gucci. He is on board as a producer of the TV series.
The series will take place at the end of the 21st century, and no actors from the original series will be involved. But again, this doesn’t necessarily rule out Michael Fassbender and other actors from Scott’s prequel movies.
While we wait for more news regarding the Alien TV series, check out our guide to the best alien movies.