Most horror franchises can point to a single film, usually the first, that established the rules and tone for every installment that followed. The Alien franchise is a rare exception, built instead on two foundational entries that pull the series in opposite directions. Ridley Scott’s 1979 original locked the cast inside the Nostromo, an isolated ship floating up in space where humans become prey to the ultimate predator. That first movie is slower and methodical, as the xenomorph eliminates the Nostromo crew one by one, while the audience feels the claustrophobic dread of the narrow corridors. James Cameron’s 1986 sequel, Aliens, reworked that formula into a war movie, arming a squad of colonial marines against an entire hive of xenomorphs and expanding the mythology far beyond Scott’s lonely killer. Both films were essential for the overall franchise, and you can now watch both on a new streaming home together.
Alien and Aliens have landed on Netflix, giving the streamer’s subscribers an easy way to watch the two films most responsible for shaping the franchise. Both arrived in Netflix’s United States library on September 1st, allowing you to watch the series pivot from Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) determined survivor to a full-scale firefight in under five hours combined. It’s a great opportunity to catch up on two of the best entries in the entire franchise while behind-the-scenes drama prevents fans from knowing when the next theatrical release will happen.
When it comes to screens, big and small, the Alien franchise is expanding on two fronts. FX’s Alien: Earth, the first live-action Alien series, was renewed for a second season in 2025, alongside a new overall deal between the network and creator Noah Hawley that indicates he might get the opportunity to complete his five-season plan. Production has relocated from Thailand, where the first season of Alien: Earth was filmed, to London’s Pinewood Studios, with filming underway throughout 2026. Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, and Alex Lawther are all expected to reprise their roles, though FX has not announced a premiere date, episode count, or additional casting. Still, given the 2026 production timeline, Alien: Earth Season 2 will likely reach FX and Hulu in 2027.
On the film side, the picture is murkier. Alien: Romulus grossed $350.9 million worldwide in 2024, a result strong enough to put a sequel in development. However, Fede Álvarez, who directed the original and co-wrote the sequel’s script with Rodo Sayagues, exited the follow-up as director, remaining on only as a producer. No replacement director has been named since his departure, and a recent report claimed the sequel had been indefinitely shelved, with Scott’s involvement as producer cited as a source of friction over David (Michael Fassbender) potentially returning to the franchise. Steve Asbell, 20th Century’s president of production, pushed back on the claim himself, but there’s still no official information on what’s happening exactly. Scott has since added to that uncertainty by confirming he is personally rewriting the next Alien film, which will continue the storyline of Alien: Covenant. It’s still unclear if Scott’s new prequel will replace the Romulus sequel or run parallel to it, and while no movie locks in a cast and crew, fans shouldn’t hold their breath to see a xenomorph in theaters.
