Alien: Earth Release Date, Episode Count, and Story Updates Revealed

Alien: Earth is set to make its debut with the first two episodes on August 12, airing at 8pm ET on Hulu in the U.S., and internationally on FX and Disney+ at 8pm PT / ET. Following this premiere, new episodes of the eight-episode season will roll out every Tuesday.

The series is set in the year 2120—well after the events of *Prometheus* and just two years prior to the original *Alien* film. It follows the harrowing journey of a young woman named Wendy (played by Sydney Chandler) and a group of tactical soldiers as they navigate the aftermath of the deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-landing on Earth. Their discovery sets off a chain of events that brings them face-to-face with an unimaginable threat lurking on the planet.

As a point of reference for fans, the upcoming *Alien: Romulus* serves as an interquel placed between the original *Alien* and *Aliens*. This gives *Alien: Earth* a unique place in the franchise timeline.

In this futuristic setting, Earth is under the control of five powerful corporations: Weyland-Yutani, Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. While cyborgs and synthetics already coexist with humans, it’s the breakthrough from Prodigy’s CEO that changes everything—the creation of hybrids, which are humanoid robots infused with human consciousness. Wendy is the very first prototype of this new hybrid technology, aligning with the franchise's recurring theme of immortality and artificial life.

This intriguing detail adds depth to the narrative: when Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship crashes into Prodigy City, Wendy and her fellow hybrids come into contact with unknown life forms described as “more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.” This hints at the presence of multiple monstrous entities throughout the series—potentially including more than one type of Xenomorph, with reports suggesting up to five distinct creatures may appear.

Here’s the official synopsis:

In the year 2120, Earth is ruled by five dominant corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans enhanced with both biological and artificial components) and synthetics (AI-driven humanoid robots) share the planet with regular humans. The balance shifts dramatically when the brilliant Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unveils a groundbreaking innovation—hybrids, which combine artificial bodies with real human consciousness. The first hybrid prototype, known only as “Wendy,” ushers in a new era in the pursuit of immortality. However, everything changes when a collision between Weyland-Yutani’s spacecraft and Prodigy City leads “Wendy” and other hybrids to encounter life forms far more horrifying than anything previously known.

Cast of Alien: Earth

• Sydney Chandler as Wendy
• Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh
• Alex Lawther as Hermit
• Samuel Blenkin as Boy Kavalier
• Babou Ceesay as Morrow
• Adrian Edmondson as Atom Eins
• David Rysdahl as Arthur Sylvia
• Essie Davis as Dame Sylvia
• Lily Newmark as Nibs
• Erana James as Curly
• Adarsh Gourav as Slightly
• Jonathan Ajayi as Smee
• Kit Young as Tootles
• Diêm Camille as Siberian
• Moe Bar-El as Rashidi
• Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Yutani

Synthetics and AI Characters in the Alien Franchise

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Back in January of last year, showrunner Noah Hawley elaborated on his decision not to incorporate the backstory established in *Prometheus*, explaining that he favors the “retro-futurism” of the original films. Although he had extensive discussions with Ridley Scott about various elements of the *Alien* universe—including how it connects to the prequels—he ultimately chose to diverge from the bioweapon lore introduced in *Prometheus*. His preference was to stay closer to the tone and mythology of the classic *Alien* films.

This marks an exciting time for fans of the franchise, as development continues on *Alien: Romulus 2*. Additionally, the *Alien* universe is expanding further with the upcoming *Predator: Badlands*, marking another crossover with the Predator franchise.