With the latest TV series Alien: Earth now streaming, I couldn’t help but revisit the entire Alien franchise. I started wondering: just how many Alien movies are there? Interestingly, the series has never been remade, each entry builds on the last or dives into prequel territory, expanding the universe piece by piece.
As a long-time moviegoer, someone who loves Thriller types of movies, I got curious about the timeline. Was I actually watching everything in the correct order? So, I did some research online to map it all out and make sense of the story’s chronology.
The Alien franchise remains one of the most iconic sci-fi horror sagas ever created. But with its films, prequels, spin-offs, and now a TV series, figuring out the ideal viewing order can be tricky. This guide is here to help to break down each entry by release date and story timeline, so you can enjoy the saga the way it was meant to unfold.
Release Order of the Alien Films
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Alien 3 (1992)
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Prometheus (2012)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Chronological Story Timeline
If you want to follow the story in the order it happens in the Alien universe, here’s the timeline:
Prometheus (2012) Set in the late 21st century, a crew explores the origins of humanity and uncovers a deadly alien threat.
Alien: Covenant (2017) Follows the colony ship Covenant, leading directly into events that hint at the beginnings of the Xenomorph species.
Alien: Earth (2025, FX / Hulu TV Series) Positioned in 2120, this series serves as a direct prequel to the original Alien (1979), taking place two years before the Nostromo’s mission. It explores Earth’s first direct encounter with Xenomorphs, as well as themes of corporate power, synthetic beings, and hybrid consciousness.
Alien (1979) The Nostromo crew investigate a distress signal and come face-to-face with a Xenomorph.
Alien: Romulus (2024): Set in 2142, this standalone story follows young colonists in deep space who encounter the Xenomorph menace.
Aliens (1986) Ripley returns with a squad of marines to the colony on LV-426, now overrun by aliens.
Alien 3 (1992) Ripley crashes on a prison planet, unknowingly taking an alien with her.
Alien: Resurrection (1997) Set around 200 years later, scientists clone Ripley in an attempt to extract the alien queen.
About the AVP Films
The Alien vs. Predator films are spin-offs and considered non-canon by many fans. They take place on Earth in the early 2000s and can be watched separately:
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Conclusion
The Alien franchise blends science fiction, horror, and action in a way that shaped modern cinema. Whether you watch by release order or chronological story order, you’ll experience one of the most chilling and thrilling journeys in sci-fi film history.