It all seemed over for the Alien franchise by the time the verdict for Ridley Scott‘s Alien: Covenant came in. Fans were turned off by the perplexing direction of the prequels and its stuffy mythology. The magic of the original films was no longer to be found in the franchise.
FX’s upcoming show might be keen on undoing some of the damage as it was revealed in this week’s TCAs that the series would be a prequel set several decades before the first movie. According to network head John Landgraf, series linchpin Ellen Ripley doesn’t come around until way later in the timeline:
There are some big surprises in store for the audience. Alien takes place before Ripley. It’s the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth. So, it takes place on our planet. Right near the end of this century we’re in — so 70-odd years from now. Ripley won’t be a part of it or any of the other characters of Alien other than the alien itself.
The series will have a bit of explaining to do as to why there would be a xenomorph on Earth decades before the Nostromo’s discovery off-planet. Thankfully, the series is being helmed by Noah Hawley, who has proven time and time and again his skill in expanding cinematic worlds onto television. Case in point, Fargo’s 5th renewal at the network. If his vision for Fargo and Alien is to be trusted, we’re in very capable hands.
Source: Deadline
