A Guide to the Iconic Sci-Fi Franchise

‘Alien: Romulus’ has an surprising place within the ‘Alien’ franchise’s timeline

The Xenomorph has terrorized audiences since its first look in Alien (1979), a movie that continues to be one of the influential sci-fi horror motion pictures of all time.

With the discharge of the most recent installment, , on Aug. 16, 2024, the Alien franchise spans 4 a long time.

follows a gaggle of younger house explorers — Rain (), Tyler (), Kay (Isabela Merced), Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and an android named Andy (David Jonsson) — who bump into the wreckage of an area station, the place they inevitably encounter a Xenomorph.

With its atmospheric rigidity and mesmerizing particular results, the Alien franchise, which is streaming on Hulu, has captivated audiences for over 40 years and consists of seven principal movies, two Alien vs. Predator crossover motion pictures and an upcoming FX sequence, Alien: Earth.

Nonetheless, the timeline of the franchise shouldn’t be as easy as the discharge dates counsel, and requires some leaping round when seeking to watch the narrative unfold chronologically.

Right here’s tips on how to watch the Alien motion pictures in chronological order and the place the most recent installment, Alien: Romulus, falls within the timeline.

Easy methods to Watch the Alien Films in Launch Order

Alien (1979)

Aliens (1986)

Alien 3 (1992)

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Prometheus (2012)

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Alien: Romulus (2024)

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Easy methods to Watch the Alien Films in Chronological Order

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Alien vs. Predator is the primary of the Alien motion pictures set within the current day and never the distant future. It follows an expedition led by Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen) because the crew investigates an enormous warmth sign on an island off the coast of Antarctica.

A combat ensues between long-dormant Xenomorphs and three Predator hunters, with the latter trying to maintain the monsters from reaching earth’s floor and wreaking havoc.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem begins proper after the earlier film ends, in 2004.

The story follows the speedy aftermath of the battle, because the Xenomorphs and a brand new “Predalien” hybrid incite mayhem in a small Colorado city.

Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus is ready in 2089 and follows archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Inexperienced) as they uncover an historic star map on Earth, which they interpret as an invite from humanity’s creators.

This leads them to a distant moon in 2093, the place they encounter the “Engineers,” the creators of the Xenomorphs and David (), an android along with his personal agenda. Whereas basic Xenomorphs don’t seem, the movie explores the origins of the species.

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Alien: Covenant, takes place in 2104, 11 years after the occasions of Prometheus. Starring Fassbender as David 8 and Walter One, two artificial androids, and Katherine Waterston as Daniels, the chief of terraforming and the spouse of the late ship’s captain, Jacob Branson ().

The ship, Covenant, is en path to the planet Origae-6 however detours to a close-by planet and encounters David from Prometheus, who continues to be pursuing his mission to breed the alien species.

The crew later discovers a horrifying fact in regards to the origins of the Xenomorphs and their creators.

Alien (1979)

The unique Alien, directed by , is ready in 2122. Within the movie, the crew of the Nostromo investigates a misery name from a derelict spaceship on moon LV-426 and encounters the lethal Xenomorph.

The movie introduces Ellen Ripley (), who turns into the franchise’s central character. The film’s mix of sci-fi and horror set the tone for the sequence and launched the notorious Xenomorph.

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Directed by Fede Álvarez, Romulus is ready between the occasions of Alien and Aliens, following a gaggle of younger house explorers who bump into the wreckage of an area station.

It facilities on Rain (Spaeny), a younger contract employee from a harsh, sunless mining colony, alongside Andy (Jonsson), a glitchy android programmed by her father, whom she affectionately refers to as her brother.

Aliens (1986)

Aliens is ready 57 years after the occasions of Alien, in 2179. , the only survivor of the Nostromo, is rescued and debriefed by her employer, Weyland-Yutani.

She joins a mission to LV-426, the place they uncover a Xenomorph hive. Directed by , the movie deploys an action-packed narrative.

Alien 3 (1992)

Alien 3, directed by David Fincher, begins shortly after Aliens, nonetheless in 2179. The ship carrying Ripley and her crew on the finish of Aliens crash-lands on the jail planet Fiorina 161, with Ripley as the only survivor.

The movie highlights Weyland-Yutani’s ongoing pursuit of the Xenomorph, with Ripley because the central determine. It’s quickly found that she is contaminated and has a chest-burster rising inside her. In a determined bid to forestall the alien from falling into the flawed arms, Ripley chooses to finish her life together with the creature.

Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Alien: Resurrection takes a major leap to 2381, 202 years after Ripley’s demise. Scientists clone Ripley, together with the Xenomorph Queen embryo inside her, to review the aliens. The movie explores the implications of the cloning experiment and introduces as Annalee Name, the most recent member of the crew aboard the Betty ship.

Aware of Ripley and the aliens, Name’s true nature is unveiled because the movie progresses: she is an artificial. All through the story, Name assists the remaining crew in speaking with the cloning scientists.

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