Xenomorph fans can rejoice with a little facehugging, as Disney and FX have officially renewed Alien: Earth for a second season. The continued revival of the Alien franchise, which began with Alien: Romulus, will see creator Noah Hawley getting to continue his highly praised series for at least another season, as well as signing a new overall deal with FX and Disney Entertainment Television into the bargain.
Alien: Earth was a huge hit this summer, bringing a new chapter of the Alien saga to life and continuing to expand the mythology of the franchise almost 50 years after it began with Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking Alien. Set in 2120, just 10 years before the events of that movie, Alien: Earth sets its story on our planet for the first time, bringing Xenomorphs and several other deadly alien creatures home with devastating consequences. Now, we will find out what happens after the events of the finale, with Wendy, her pet Xenomorph, and the rest of the lost children set to take over the way things are being run.
The second season of Alien: Earth is set to shift filming from Thailand – where the first season was shot – to London, with production due to start in 2026. This means it is likely we will not be seeing Season 2 hit screens until 2027. In a statement (per Variety), FX chairman John Landgraf said:
“It has been our great privilege to work with Noah for more than a decade on some of FX’s best and biggest shows, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership well into the future. Noah never stops surprising us with truly original stories— and his unique ability to bring them to vibrant life as a director and producer as well as writer makes him extraordinary. We can’t wait to get to work on the next season of ‘Alien: Earth,’ as well as some equally exciting future projects in advanced development.”
‘Alien: Earth’ Can Build on a Strong Foundation
FX
When Disney and Fox merged, many fans immediately called it the death of franchises like Alien and Predator, with many having the strange view that Disney does not release violent and mature content. Several years on, the noise has been quashed by hugely successful releases in both franchises, with Predator: Badlands being the latest, arriving in cinemas last weekend to an opening weekend box office record.
The Alien franchise is set to continue with a sequel to Alien: Romulus, and now Alien: Earth can continue to build, despite some small niggles during its opening run. The main issue for many fans is adapting from a movie to a TV show form of storytelling. Many views seem to expect that a series will play out the same way as a movie does, showing its cards early, putting everything it has to offer out there in the first episodes. It: Welcome to Derry has recently received some negative reactions from those who “just want the clown,” and many of Alien: Earth’s complaints stem from a similar place.
During its run, Alien: Earth delivered an episode that stands as one of the best hours of the entire Alien franchise, the claustrophobic return to space in a flashback that revealed what befell the crew of the vessel that crashed to Earth in the opening episode. Around it, was a story that needed to establish a whole new set of characters, a new vision of what Earth has become, and fill in the gaps about who owns what, who wants what, and how it all fits together. Not something that is incredibly easy to achieve in just a couple of hours, which is why Alien: Earth needed the whole first season to really set out its stall and show what it could bring to the table.
Now, Season 2 can really build on that, with the groundwork already done, and a battle for supremacy on Earth about to begin. Hawley has already hinted at a five-season plan for Alien: Earth, and his chances of seeing it through just took a huge step forward.