FX’s Alien: Earth just made a big move. Not to a new network or in-universe time period, but to a new base of production. The first season of creator Noah Hawley‘s prequel to the 1979 film shot in Thailand, which added a distinct tropical swelt. However, the production has just moved to London’s legendary Pinewood Studios for its forever home, for season two and beyond. Hawley spoke to Deadline about the process and reason behind the big move (guess what, it’s budget) as well as what he hopes for the future of the ambitious sci-fi series.
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“What I can say is we start [shooting] this summer. We’re getting close,” Hawley told the publication. “I did a stage walk today past the props and costumes. Things are being built. It’s always exciting to see it. We had a great experience in Thailand, but for a couple of reasons London is a better home for us long-term.” The fact that London is less remote and offers a tax rebate might have something to do with it.
At any rate, for a series that aims to run long-term, a centralized filming spot does seem the most practical. Not to mention, Pinewood is where the first three Alien movies filmed, plus Prometheus, so the xenomorph acid blood has a history there. Hawley called the first season of Alien: Earth a “proof of concept” but that the move to England creates a “sustainable model.”
“It’s my hope – I have a place that I’m going, but I don’t know how long it will take me to get there,” Hawley said of the show’s future. “Assuming that the price of execution and the audience stays commensurate, we could go for as long as we want. If we nurture them, these franchises can give back for a very long time.”
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Hawley also commented on the casting of Peter Dinklage for the next season. “Obviously, this franchise has a lot of iconic roles in it,” he said. “I am, for better or worse, an ensemble writer who has never met a character I didn’t like, but he’s got a major role, and people are going to feel it’s a worthy role for him.”
Unclear what that might mean, but we can see Dinklage fitting right in with the tech-corporate intrigue of Alien: Earth.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.
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