Noah Hawley, showrunner of FX’s upcoming Alien series, recently discussed the project on The Deadline Podcast. Hawley, who also oversees Fargo, shared that he has finished directing his episodes (with the entire show set to wrap up filming in July) and his plans for multiple seasons for the Alien series.
In his discussion, Hawley emphasised that, unlike the prequels, his series would maintain the original films’ retrofuturistic aesthetic. “What I said to Ridley is, ‘I’m adapting your movie.’ I had to make a decision — retro-futurism or Prometheus? And I chose retro-futurism.”
This choice aligns with the distinct visual style that fans of the original Alien series appreciate, moving away from the polished look of the prequels. “When I close my eyes, and you say Alien to me, I see that green Ascii text. You know, I hear that sound. I see that keyboard with the weird Egyptian ruins on it. I see those hallways.”
Hawley also touched on the structure of the series, noting FX’s intention to quickly follow up the first season with a second, aiming for minimal delay. This plan supports FX’s vision of Alien as a potential long-running series rather than a limited engagement. “They’re [FX Networks] saying maybe don’t do two things at once on this show,” Hawley conveyed the network’s directive against multitasking, indicating their commitment to a focused and continuous production schedule. “Their hope is to put a season two as close to season one as possible.“
Contrary to speculation, Hawley clarified that there are no intentional links between his series and Alien: Romulus, another Alien universe project set for release in August. He explained that while Alien: Romulus operates under a different sector of 20th Century Studios, both he and Romulus director Fede Álvarez have been given free rein to explore their respective projects independently.
Reiterating themes he’s discussed previously, Hawley confirmed his approach to the xenomorphs’ backstory in the series, choosing to depict them as ancient creatures that evolved over millions of years, rather than recent bioweapons. This decision marks a departure from the narrative direction taken in Ridley Scott’s prequels.
Regarding the involvement of Ridley Scott, Hawley revealed that the veteran director, while serving as an executive producer, has had minimal hands-on input, focusing instead on other directing commitments like Gladiator 2. Hawley’s interaction with Scott has been limited to broad discussions about thematic elements, allowing Hawley to pursue his vision of the Alien saga. The cast list for the Alien series includes Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling), Alex Lawther (Star Wars: Andor), and Timothy Olyphant (The Mandalorian).
As for the release schedule, the Alien series is slated to premiere on FX/Hulu in 2025.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing Honkai: Star Rail, cosplaying, or daydreaming of meeting her idols.
