Word on Noah Hawley's Alien series has been as silent as a scream in space, but a new update suggests the project will begin production later this year.
Speaking to TVLine, FX chief John Landgraf shared that Hawley has finished the scripts and is in "active preproduction" on Season 1 of his Alien series. "That's gearing up for production this year," Landgraf added. According to the FX boss, Hawley has also met with his production designer and will begin shooting Alien after he completes Fargo Season 5.
Development on an Alien series was first announced back in December 2020, with Hawley attached as head writer, showrunner and executive producer. Hawley, who is best known for his work on Fargo and the X-Men spinoff Legion, had pitched an Alien miniseries at FX before Disney's acquisition of FX through its parent company, 20th Century Fox. Fox executive Emma Watts reportedly "fended off" the idea before it could get off the ground.
Hawley's Expansive New Vision
In July 2021, Hawley spoke about his take on Alien. "[The Alien series is] set on Earth," He revealed. "The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a spaceship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of 'What happens if you can’t contain it?' are more immediate." Landgraf has also praised Hawley for crafting a unique story that is still faithful to the source material. "Noah has this incredible ability, and I think you've seen it with Fargo, to both find a way of being faithful, showing fidelity to an original creation like a Coen brothers movie, or in this case, Ridley Scott's and James Cameron's follow-up, Aliens, but also to bring something new to the table that represents extension and reinvention of a franchise at the same time."
FX's Alien is also said to take place 20-30 years before the events of Ridley Scott's 1979 original film and will not feature the character Ellen Ripley (originally played by Sigourney Weaver). "It's the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth," Landgraf said in February 2022. "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."
In addition to Hawley's series, a new Alien movie is also in development with Don't Breathe's Fede Álvarez set to direct. Mare of Easttown's Cailee Spaeny joined the cast in November 2022, followed by David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu in March. The film will follow a group of young people from a distant colony as they fight for their lives against the xenomorph.
Source: TVLine