Unraveling the Xenomorph Saga: Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth Kicks Off the Next Chapter of the Iconic Sci-Fi Franchise

Navigating the labyrinthine “Alien” universe can leave one bewildered, yet the terror-filled world of Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking 1979 film serves as its foundation. Despite redefining science fiction, “Alien” now marks a pivotal point in the sprawling narrative that chronicles the Xenomorph’s saga.

Emmy Award-winning writer Noah Hawley, best known for the critically acclaimed TV series “Fargo,” is set to unveil “Alien: Earth,” the latest addition to the franchise and its first foray into television, on Tuesday. The films span several decades in real time and centuries within the “Alien” universe, but Hawley remains unfazed by the challenge of integrating the series smoothly into the timeline.

At a press event this spring, he remarked, “We haven’t literally calendared it out.” Although much is known about the aliens themselves, the decision to bring the narrative to Earth for the first time presents an enigmatic landscape to explore since little is known about Earth within the “Alien” universe. Hawley described this as a valuable opportunity, stating, “It was a gift to get a franchise this big with very little mythology to it.”

The series’ premiere offers an ideal occasion to delve into the sinewy, menacing world of Ellen Ripley and her epic struggle against one of the galaxy’s most fearsome creatures. Below is a list of the franchise’s films and new television show, arranged in chronological order within the “Alien” universe.

For clarity, this list excludes projects that intersect with the “Predator” franchise, including 2004’s underappreciated “Alien vs. Predator” and its sequel three years later.

A prequel directed by original “Alien” director Ridley Scott, this film offers a possible glimpse into the origins of several species depicted in the 1979 film, including humans. While it may not offer a seamless fit with the events established by “Alien,” it does provide intriguing insights into the early stages of various species within the universe.

The sequel to “Prometheus” takes place eleven years later and echoes the classic sequel “Aliens” by following a team that responds to a distress call and lands on a mysterious planet, resulting in catastrophic consequences. Notably, Michael Fassbender delivers a chilling performance as the android David.

In this new series, Hawley seeks to portray the Xenomorphs “within a larger ecosystem” and place them in an unexpected location – Earth. The show takes place two years before the events of the original “Alien” and features competing global corporations, including Weyland-Yutani, and a hierarchy of human and humanoid beings vying for control after a spaceship crash-lands on Earth carrying highly valuable, yet dangerous, cargo.

The blueprint for not only this franchise but also countless sci-fi and creature feature titles that followed, “Alien” introduced the world to the razor-toothed, face-hugging, chest-bursting Xenomorph in a harrowing encounter between the Nostromo’s crew – a diverse group of space truckers.

This installment aimed to revitalize the franchise after a period of dormancy, taking place between the first two films in the series while Ripley is stranded in hypersleep following the traumatic events of the initial movie.

Directed by James Cameron and breaking genre norms, this entry amplified both the horror and action elements while crafting a compelling human drama. The story unfolds over half a century after “Alien,” with Ripley learning that her escape pod went undetected, and everyone she knew on Earth has since passed away due to old age. Things only escalate from there.

The sole entry set immediately after the events of the previous installment, “Alien 3” commences when Ripley’s latest escape vessel crashes onto a prison planet – with a dangerous passenger on board. The end of this film features an astonishing demise to one of cinema’s most iconic heroines.

An unconventional entry that improves with repeated viewings, this futuristic vision (by Jean-Pierre Jeunet of “Amélie” fame) brings Ripley back as a clone whose DNA has been fused with the Xenomorph. The story takes place so far in the future that Hawley stated he did not factor it into his planning for the new series.

“Alien: Earth” premieres Tuesday on FX and streams on Hulu.