Legion creator Noah Hawley says his long-awaited Alien series for FX is set to resume production in early 2024.
“We’re getting back into production as quickly as possible,” Hawley told Deadline, confirming that cameras will start rolling again in either January or February. “We’re shooting in Bangkok, a half a world away; shooting again in the New Year.”
Hawley continued, “I got some footage. Some of the first hour was shot before we had to shutdown. It’s stuff to play with and edit.” The filmmaker concluded by saying that he’s “excited to get back in there.”
The development of FX’s Alien TV series
In December 2020, The Walt Disney Company revealed that 20th Television was developing a live-action Alien series for FX, with Hawley attached as showrunner. Disney announced the series as part of the FX on Hulu banner (though that branding has since been phased out).
Hawley’s series serves as a prequel to Ridley Scott’s original Alien film from 1979. It will take place on Earth in the late 21st century. Hawley writes and directs the series, with Scott attached as an executive producer.
FX’s Alien stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, and Kit Young. Production on the series was originally supposed to get underway in March 2022. However, shooting was postponed due to continued concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Things finally kicked off in July 2023.
Production on Alien was unaffected by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, as all the show’s scripts had been completed prior to May 2. Furthermore, since the series’ British actors were working under an Equity contract, filming was able to proceed during the early goings of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strike. Production kicked off in Thailand in July, albeit without American lead Chandler. That said, the strike ultimately did force Alien to halt shooting in August.
With both strikes now over, Hawley and his team are free to continue filming. While no release date for FX’s Alien has been announced, Hawley recently told TheWrap that audiences can likely expect to see the series sometime during the first half of 2025.
The larger future of the iconic horror franchise
Hawley’s FX series was the first on-screen Alien project to be announced under the Disney banner — but it wasn’t the last. In March 2022, news broke that Fede Álvarez had signed on to write and direct a brand-new Alien feature film. Álvarez’s movie was originally supposed to be a Hulu exclusive (not unlike the acclaimed Predator prequel film Prey). However, it was eventually upgraded to a theatrical release.
Titled Alien: Romulus, the film opens on August 16, 2024.
