Alien: Earth Timeline Reveals if It Is a Prequel

FX's new sci-fi series Alien: Earth , created by Noah Hawley, finally answers one of the biggest questions fans ask whenever a new Alien project arrives — where does it fitinto the franchise's sprawling timeline? The answer not only confirms its place in the saga but also cements its connection to Ridley Scott's original 1979 masterpiece, aka answering if it's a prequelor not.

What is Alien: Earth's timeline and is it a prequel to past movies?

Set in the year 2120, Alien: Earth takes place just two years before the events of Alien, which is set in 2122. This firmly makes it a direct prequel to the first film, much like Rogue One is to Star Wars: A New Hope.

With the USCSS Nostromo — the freighter from Alien — also launching from Earth in 2120, fans might even witness its departure during the series, neatly bridging the gap between the new show and the movie that started it all.

While Alien: Earth connects closely to Alien, the franchise's larger chronology spans centuries. Excluding the non-canon Alien vs. Predator films, the earliest point begins with Prometheus (2089) and Alien: Covenant (2104). These explore humanity's encounter with the Engineers and the creation of the Xenomorphs .

After Alien: Earth and Alien (2120–2122), the timeline moves to Alien: Romulus (2142), which happens between Alien and Aliens. This 2024 release tells a new story aboard a space station where scientists experiment on Xenomorphs, creating a fresh new arc while respecting established lore.

Decades later, Aliens and Alien 3 both take place in 2179, following Ripley's battle to protect humanity from yet another outbreak. The timeline then takes a massive leap to Alien: Resurrection in 2381, where cloning and genetic splicing add a bizarre twist to Ripley's story.

To summarise, here's how all Alien projects are lined up:

• Prometheus: 2093

• Alien: Covenant: 2104

• Alien: Earth: 2120

• Alien: 2122

• Alien: Romulus: 2142

• Aliens: 2179

• Alien 3: 2179

• Alien: Resurrection: 2381

By placing Alien: Earth right before the events of the first film, FX and Hawley are not only expanding the mythos but also snowballing the lead-up to cinema's most iconic sci-fi horror. Its proximity to Alien allows it to explore the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's growing ambitions. In addition to the evolution of androids like Timothy Olyphant's Kirsh, and the shadow of the Nostromo mission before disaster strikes.