Here's Why The ALIEN Prequel Series At FX Will Ignore PROMETHUS And ALIEN: COVENANT

Here's Why The ALIEN Prequel Series At FX Will Ignore PROMETHUS And ALIEN: COVENANT

Following the success of Fargo and Legion, acclaimed sci-fi creator Noah Hawley will continue his collaboration with FX with an Alien prequel television series.

By MarkJulian - Jan 14, 2024 12:01 PM EST
Filed Under: Alien
Source: SFFGazette.com

Following his fantastic and criminally underrated X-Men-adjacent Legion television series and his ongoing, award-winning work on Fargo, Hawley will seek to produce another hit sci-fi drama with FX with his Alien prequel television series.

Yet, the Alien franchise has already had a prequel film, two in fact, with Ridley Scott returning to direct Prometheus in 2012 and Alien: Covenant in 2017.

According to a new interview with Hawley, his television series will ignore both of these films. But, before we get into Hawley's statements, there are a few key dates in the Alien timeline to remember.

Scott directed the original 1979 Alien picture, set in the year 2122.

Many years later, Scott helmed the Prometheus prequel, which takes place in 2089, 33 years before the events of the first film.

Prometheus went on to have a sequel, Covenant, which occurred in 2104, 18 years before Ripley and the Nostromo ran afoul of the deadly extraterrestrials. 

It's somewhat worth mentioning here that the Alien vs. Predator movies, set in 2004, are considered non-canon, having been retconned by Prometheus.

Hawley's television show is set "three decades" before the events of the first film, so it should take place very close to the events of Prometheus, but the television creator has confirmed that he will ignore the prequel films because the concept of the Engineers (as depicted in the prequels) does not interest him.

Said Hawley, "Ridley and I have talked about this and many elements of the show, but I think for me, this perfect lifeform, as it was described in the first film, is the product of millions of years of evolution that created this creature that may have existed for a million years out there in space. And the idea that it was a bio-weapon created half an hour ago is inherently less useful to me. In terms of the mythology and what’s scary about this monster."

Hawley's comments are in reference to the events of Prometheus where it's revealed that humanity's forerunners, the Engineers, created the Xenomorphs as a biological weapon.

Hawley also added that he prefers the aesthetics of the first two original films, as opposed to the prequels.

"I prefer the retrofuturism of the first two films, and so that’s the choice that I’ve made to embrace that. There are no holograms; the convenience of beautiful Apple store technology is not available to me."

The full cast for the show includes Sydney Chandler (Don't Worry Darling), Alex Lawther (Black Mirror, Andor), Samuel Blenkin (The Sandman, Black Mirror), Kit Young  (Shadow and Bone), Essie Davis (Matrix Revolutions, Assassin's Creed), and Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger). Timohty Olyphant has also joined the cast as a synth while  David Rysdahl's role is being kept under wraps.

Previously, Hawley told Vanity Fair that the series is set on Earth and will deal with issues of class warfare.  "The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a spaceship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of “What happens if you can’t contain it?” are more immediate. "

In addition to the prequel show, a new Alien film by filmmaker Fede Alvarez, titled Alien: Romulus, is also in the works at Disney/20th Century Studios, with a theatrical release date of August 16, 2024. The cast includes Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, David Jonsson, Aileen Wu, and Spike Fearn.

While the television series will be set before the events of the first film, Alvarez's movie will be set between the events of the original Ridley Scott-directed 1979 film and its James Cameron-helmed, 1986 sequel.

Per Hawley, his Alien prequel television series will premiere in "the first half of 2025."

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lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 1/14/2024, 12:28 PM
If it's anything like the job they did with Legion (just finished that series a couple weeks ago; Aubry Plaza is a goddess) then I am beyond sold.
TheJester187
TheJester187 - 1/14/2024, 12:29 PM
Trash!!! Engineers held that Prometheus movie down. Covenant didn’t do them any good. He lost me not having engineers in this project. Engineers in the comics are cool as [frick]. And visually menancing. He dropped the ball saying that dumb shit.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 1/14/2024, 1:36 PM
@TheJester187 - Prometheus has a far dumber scrit than Covenant. Scientists doing ignorant unscientific things that get them killed. Covenant simply has a better script. It's still not great but far.more competent than Prometheus.
TheWinkler
TheWinkler - 1/14/2024, 2:53 PM
@McMurdo - I always viewed the incompetent nature of the Prometheus crew not as stupidity, but purposefully written arrogance.
Lem1
Lem1 - 1/14/2024, 8:16 PM
@TheJester187 - Agreed. Prometheus was on track for a whole new fascinating sci-fi adventure
bobevanz
bobevanz - 1/14/2024, 12:30 PM
Prometheus could have been great! If Lindelof didn't leave more questions than answers, and then Covenant came out and [frick]ed it all up. Noah Hawley is so talented, I can't wait!
santoanderson
santoanderson - 1/14/2024, 12:44 PM
Alien is at its best when it’s humans being trapped in a small confined space surrounded by monsters. I get that Ridley wanted to do something different, but spending two movies being spoon fed the etymologic origins of a space monster is kinda lame. It totally robs the movie series of its mystery.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 1/14/2024, 12:54 PM

I am all for this.

the last 2 movies were very mediocre. Maybe this is the guy who can get it right.

Alien - best horror movie of all time.

Aliens - top 3 best sci-fi movie of all time.

SuperiorHeckler
SuperiorHeckler - 1/14/2024, 1:09 PM
Here's Why Superior Heckler Ignores PROMETHUS And ALIEN: COVENANT: They were the laziest form of prequel-structures that set-out to explain and demystify the best of the myth-building elements of the original 1979 classic. 🤨
Izaizaiza
Izaizaiza - 1/14/2024, 1:28 PM
Prometheus and alien covenant were extraordinarily stupid films, and come off as cringe-worthy "trying too hard" next to the absolute perfection of the first alien film.
RokoVII
RokoVII - 1/14/2024, 1:34 PM
Because they were shit, thats why
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 1/14/2024, 1:43 PM
I like to see it this way: The creation of the Xenomorphs as detailed in Prometheus and Covenant was not the first time Xenomorphs had ever existed.

I see both Prometheus and AvP as canon. Xenomorphs, like Hawley says, are ancient. David just figured out the science to genetically engineer an already pre-existing perfect killing machine.
dracula
dracula - 1/14/2024, 1:45 PM
Ballsy to retcon the creator’s stuff but yeah I agree

Prometheus should have been a one shot and direct prequel to Alien

We dont need a film series about an Android slowly creating the aliens
dracula
dracula - 1/14/2024, 1:52 PM
1.Aliens
2.Alien
3.Alien 3
4.Prometheus
5.Alien Covenant
6.Alien vs Predator
7.Aliens vs Predator Requiem
8.Alien Resurrection

1.Predator
2.Prey
3.Predators
4.Predator 2
5.Alien vs Predator
6.The Predator
7.Aliens vs Predator Requiem
Order66
Order66 - 1/14/2024, 1:56 PM
Sounds like Scott ok’d this show to ignore the prequels completely so that being said, this show and Alien 1 & 2 are the canon. They were ready to make an Alien 2 sequel and ignore 3 and 4 so really in my mind this show and 1 & 2 are the only worthwhile entries in this franchise.
dracula
dracula - 1/14/2024, 2:19 PM
@Order66 - eh id keep the assembly cut of Alien 3
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 1/14/2024, 1:57 PM
Can’t wait to see Timohty Olyphant as a synth.
Godzilla2000Zer
Godzilla2000Zer - 1/14/2024, 2:03 PM
Yeah I never liked the idea that David created or recreated the Xenomorphs but the truth is does canon even matter because I just say make a good show.
Fogs
Fogs - 1/14/2024, 2:13 PM
Despite its flaws I loved Prometheus. It could be better but I loved most of it.

Covenant was so bad I couldn't finish it.
MrDandy
MrDandy - 1/14/2024, 2:19 PM
I may be in the minority but I liked Ridley Scott’s two prequel films despite their flaws. I’m still really disappointed that we won’t get to see the end of the trilogy after that cliffhanger.

However Hawley is great and I’m excited to see where this series goes.
GeneralZod
GeneralZod - 1/14/2024, 5:02 PM
@MrDandy - The two prequel films have a great story. "And the idea that it was a bio-weapon created half an hour ago is inherently less useful to me." Cannot disagree with him more.
PapaSpank54
PapaSpank54 - 1/14/2024, 11:49 PM
@MrDandy - I agree. Especially don't get the Covenant hate. I understand people not liking it but the way people talk about it like it's the The Predator of the Alien series battles me.
RitoRevolto
RitoRevolto - 1/14/2024, 2:47 PM
I get why those prequels are hated, but I still enjoyed them. Mainly because of the actors than the actual plot; Fassbender as David made a subtly terrifying antagonist.
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 1/14/2024, 3:42 PM
"Here's Why The ALIEN Prequel Series At FX Will Ignore PROMETHUS And ALIEN: COVENANT"

-Because they were shit.
MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 1/14/2024, 3:59 PM
So...the prequel of the prequel? [frick]ing hell Hollywood is on cardiac arrest.
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 1/14/2024, 7:59 PM
@MaxPaint - It's a prequel to the prequels, but you're now supposed to pretend those "original" prequels never happened, but either way, you'll never get those 4 hours of your life back 🤣
imnotwearinghockeypants
imnotwearinghockeypants - 1/14/2024, 4:00 PM
Because they sucked. The End.
grif
grif - 1/14/2024, 5:00 PM
theres a show and a movie coming out?
Twenty23Three
Twenty23Three - 1/14/2024, 7:35 PM
Such a long winded way of saying that those movies sucked. Like regardless of your opinion just say it, don’t pussyfoot around it.
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 1/15/2024, 6:47 AM
"I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of “What happens if you can’t contain it?” are more immediate."

What happens? They established this already in canon, everyone dies cause the Aliens can't be stopped once they have a foothold. Nuke them from space. Gonna be a short show lol

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