Alien: Earth Series: Not Fully Connected to Previous Film Events

Product Clarification on Series Events

The series "Alien: Earth" will not fully deal with the events of previous Alien films as a core part of its story, and the producer stated that they benefited from their originality and novelty. One of the producers of "Alien: Earth" series confirmed that the events in the films preceding the brand's first television series were not considered when developing its story. In short: No.

Speaking with TechRadar ahead of the series' mid-August premiere, David W. Zucker admitted that "Alien: Earth" isn't actively disregarding what was established in the previous films that precede the show from a chronological standpoint. However, Zucker argued that there wasn't "a lot of mythology to contend with" from those films prior to "Alien: Earth"'s development – a comment sure to pique the interest of long-time fans, and perhaps confuse or anger "Alien" enthusiasts.

Chronology and Previous Alien Films

The events depicted in "Prometheus" and the Engineers are not mentioned in "Alien"'s first television series.

Before diving into the precise details of what Zucker actually said, let's look at the facts: Within the series' universe, "Alien: Earth" takes place in 2120. This places it two years before "Alien" and the subsequent films led by Sigourney Weaver.

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The only films preceding "Alien" in the timeline are "Prometheus", whose main story takes place in 2093 (although the film begins in 2089), and "Alien: Covenant", which takes place in 2104. You can see what we made of these films, as well as their counterparts, in our article on the best Alien movies ranked.

But I digress. Considering what happens in "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant" – I won't spoil what happens for anyone who hasn't seen one or both films – fans wondered if "Alien: Earth" would address the series' mythology detailed in this pair. They are part of the "Alien" timeline, so their stories are fundamental and thus referable in FX's original series, right?

Noah Hawley and Ridley Scott's Vision

"Alien: Covenant" takes place 16 years before "Alien: Earth", but the former's story and lore do not influence the latter. That wasn't the case, as Zucker noted when I asked him to clarify things for the property's perplexing fanbase.

"Fortunately, as [series creator] Noah [Hawley] has said before, there wasn't a lot of mythology he had to contend with already, so that gave him a lot of freedom," Zucker replied. "But this was something that came entirely out of Noah's mind, and it's something through the historical relationship he had with FX."

"Once [FX chief] John Landgraf was able to seize the opportunity to explore a series in this space, there was frankly no one better he could have exploited."

"So, the relationship between him [Noah] and Ridley became one," Zucker added. "Noah used the original film as his starting point to embark on his new approach and story in a series environment. It became something we really capitalized on through all the originality, creativity, and freshness of thought in the story he chose to tell."

Conflicting Statements and Fan Questions

The Alien films starring Sigourney Weaver take place after "Alien: Earth". Zucker's comments further complicate what other individuals involved in the Hulu and Disney+ show's production have said.

Speaking with Variety in late July, FX Entertainment president Gina Balian did little to clarify matters, saying: "Not everything has to fit together the way you'd expect from Marvel. Fans don't expect that in this universe. It doesn't have the same pressure."

Elsewhere, Hawley told Empire magazine (via PopVerse): "The first film came out in 1979 and Prometheus came out in 2012... So you're talking about almost 40 years where there was no black goo, no David, no Engineers. For me, "Alien" is established as creatures that have existed for millions of years. They are the fully evolved species. What you have to do is tell these stories from an organic place for the fan within you."

They don't exactly clarify things, do they – but what do you think? Does it matter if "Alien: Earth" addresses what happened in "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant"? Let me know in the comments.

Series Expectations and Additional Resources

While we await the series' arrival on August 12 (US) and August 13 (worldwide), check out my "Alien: Earth" review for my verdict on the vast majority of Hawley's latest TV production. Then, read the comprehensive "Alien: Earth" guide for all the details about the upcoming show.

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