It’s official! An Alien TV series is in the works at FX Networks. Back in September, Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) mentioned he wanted to bring an Alien series to TV. He approached FX in 2017, but the project never got the green light … until now.
Speaking at Disney’s annual investor conference, FX Chairman John Landgraf announced that the network was moving into high gear to bring an Alien series to TV, based on the 20th Century Fox franchise spanning six films, around a dozen short films, as well as novels, comic books, and games.
And here’s the kicker—the series will be based on Earth. The xenomorph is finally coming to our world. The comic book series did have xenomorphs wreaking havoc on Earth, but that’s way outside movie canon.
Landgraf said, “FX is moving quickly to bring audiences the first television series based on one of the greatest science fiction horror classics ever made. … By blending both the timeless horror of the first Alien film with the non-stop action of the second, it’s going to be a scary thrill ride that will blow people back in their seats.”
RIDLEY SCOTT IN NEGOTIATIONS
Hawley will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Landgraf also confirmed that FX is in advanced negotiations with Ridley Scott. This is a smart investment by FX to bring on Scott as an executive producer. Despite some complaints about his later work on the Alien franchise, having Scott attached to the project will give the series instant gravitas.
Scott’s more recent Alien films were money-makers. Prometheus grossed more than $400 million worldwide.
Also, Scott has had recent success in the realm of TV with the HBO Max sci-fi series Raised by Wolves. The 2020 series had a very Alien-esque feel with bioengineered aliens, forced impregnation with an alien species, and the familiar theme of the potential extinction of humanity.
Considering that Scott directed a few episodes of Raised by Wolves, it’s likely he’ll take the director’s chair for a couple episodes of the new Alien series.
DISNEY SAVES THE ALIEN
When Hawley originally approached FX about an Alien-themed series in 2017, FX’s parent company 21st Century Fox didn’t see the value in greenlighting the series. Then, last year, Disney finished its acquisition of Fox. Now a little more than a year later, Disney resurrected the Alien series and gave the go-ahead to FX and Hawley to make it happen.
Disney has been blamed for the debacle of the final Star Wars trilogy of the Skywalker Saga. However, for the most part, Disney has elevated other entertainment brands far beyond what fans thought possible. Marvel continues to crank out so much high-quality media (films, TV shows, comic books, etc.). And Star Wars, despite the tragedy of the final trilogy, is making TV series (The Mandalorian, Clone Wars), books, and comic books that fans love.
Let’s hope Disney and FX deliver on the promise of an Alien TV series that channels the horror of the original film combined with the action-packed adventure of Aliens. If they can do that, it will be a ratings hit.
