GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.
Alien: Earth will be the second new Alien project in as many years and the first-ever TV show tied to Ridley Scott’s landmark sci-fi horror franchise. Like any new addition to the Alien lore, avid fans likely want to know how to think of it in terms of the broader timeline. Alien: Earth has a definitive answer to that question, though it’s interesting to note how that’s changed over time.
As the series approaches its premiere on FX and Hulu on August 12, it’s officially said to be a prequel to the original 1979 movie, with the story of Alien: Earth taking place two years before that first movie in 2120. That nearly puts the show on the same track as the original movie, which can’t be said for the prequel movies, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which are set in 2093 and 2104, respectively.

During GameSpot’s visit to the series’ set in April 2024, showrunner Noah Hawley actually had different ideas in mind for the series, saying during a roundtable interview that he didn’t have to be precise quite yet, indicating that the idea of the series’ timeline has shifted over the last year and a half in production.
“I think we exist somewhere around Aliens, around the James Cameron story,” Hawley had said at the time. “You know, I’ve not had to get crazy specific with it, but the events of the first film are referenced in the show at some point. So I think it’s somewhere around the events of the second film, either before or just after.”
Had that timing stuck, that would’ve set Alien: Earth and Alien: Romulus, set in 2142, right around the same time as each other, though back then, the two projects also were not connected at all. Perhaps due to the box office success of Romulus or just other reasons, Alien: Earth now finds itself predating the events aboard the Nostromo from the first film as an official prequel, though Hawley said he looked only to the first two films for inspiration.
It’s unclear if the reference to the Nostromo has survived the final version of the first season’s episodes. That, too, may have been altered or even removed. We’ll have to wait and see when Alien: Earth premieres on FX and Hulu on August 12.
For more on the new Alien series, check out how the production handles the show’s Xenomorph in terms of special effects, and what the lead actor says about following in the footsteps of Sigourney Weaver.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com