Alien
TheAlienmovies in chronological Holy Order represent a tenacious and complicated timeline that has continued to captivate audiences for over 40 years . The sci - fi horror franchiseAlienhas a unequalled aesthetic , inspired by the piece of work of artist H.R. Giger and the former eras of science fable . Ridley Scott was the first film director to arrange the tone and style for the series , and he helped lend O’Bannon and Shusett ’s vision to living to set in motion a global franchise , spawn multiple films , Scripture , games , and ware . The titular " foreign " of the serial , experience as the Xenomorph , has since become a sci - fi repugnance icon .
The first continuation , Aliens , became a sci - fiaction - packed movie by James Cameron , and that trend carry on throughAlien 3andAlien : Resurrection . After battle their interstellar rivals in twoAlien vs. Predatorfilms , the franchise search the Xenomorph ’s origin in the factious filmPrometheus , with Ridley Scott returning . unknown : Covenantreturned the series to its etymon in a film similar to the firstAlien , but it was met with little flash . The bequest continues with 2024’sAlien : Romulus , further complicate the timeline .
Alien Movies In Release Order
From Alien To Alien: Covenant
The loss order for theAlienmovies is break into three quadrants that are relatively easy to follow . The first four moving picture , Alien , Aliens , Alien 3,andAlien : Resurrectionfollow a straightforward - bank line narrativethat midpoint on Ellen Ripley ( Sigourney Weaver ) within the world of the Xenomorphs . The follow two first appearance in the series are theAlien vs. Predatorfilms , AVPandAVP : Requiem , which go by from the storey of the firstAlienmovie , taking home in the present day , many decades before Ripley . They also directly crossover with thePredatorfranchise .
Movie
Year Of Release
Rotten Tomatoes Score
1979
93 %
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Aliens
1986
98 %
Alien 3
1992
48 %
Alien : Resurrection
1997
54 %
AVP : Alien Vs . Predator
2004
22 %
Alien vs. Predator : Requiem
2007
12 %
Prometheus
2012
73 %
Alien : Covenant
2017
65 %
Alien : Romulus
2024
80 %
The last plane section of theAlienmovies in release order is the two prequel films , PrometheusandAlien : Covenant , which explorethe origins of the Xenomorph . However , the enfranchisement expanded with the most late movie , Alien : Romulus , whicharrived in the summertime of 2024 and give to the timeline of the original serial rather than serve as a continuation ofCovenant ’s prequel arc .
Alien Movies In Chronological Order
From The Dawn Of Time To The Far Future
Setting
2089 - 2093
2104
2122
Unknown ( between 2122 and 2179 )
2179
2381
AVP: Alien Vs. Predator (2004)
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AVP : Alien vs. Predatorwas the first film in theAlienfranchise that is jell in the present day . The movie bring stead in 2004as it follows a group of scientists and explorer who are investigating an unusual heat signature in Antarctica . While look into it , they discover a synagogue and discover themselves in the centre of a long ceremony of fresh Predator warriors using Xenomorphs as hunting target .
While it is fun seeing the Xenomorphs face up off with another iconic motion-picture show fiend , Alien vs. Predatorhas mostly been wiped from the official canon of theAlienmovies . Though it have some interesting connections , such asAliensactor Lance Henricksen appearing as the psyche of the Weyland Corporation , Prometheuslater suggest that the Xenomorphs did n’t exist until long after the issue of this moving picture , which suggests they have been around for a recollective prison term . Still , when watching theAlienmovies in order , this is a good place to begin .
Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Alien vs vulture : Requiemis a direct sequel toAlien vs. Predator . In fact , it takes plaza immediately after the first movie ends , still set in 2004 . When the Predators unwillingly allow aPredator / Xenomorph hybridaboard their ship , it stimulate them to ram in a small townsfolk in America . As the two metal money go on to combat , the townspeople are often caught in the crossfire .
While the picture delivered the gas constant rating that fans wanted from the first movie , it was still met with hushed box role results and worse vital reception . As a termination , theAlien vs. Predatormovies end and the timeline was mostly ignored . However , there are some interesting connectedness made , including the idea that the Predator technology serve advance the Yutani Corporation from theAlienfranchise .
Prometheus (2012)
While some buff may want to include theAlien vs. Predatormovies as part of the canyon , it could be said that theAlientimeline really begin withPrometheus . The movie starts in the twelvemonth 2089with archaeologist discovering an ancient map , which is thought to be an invitation from the creators of humanity to come and find them . This leads an expedition to a distant and devoid moon , LV-223 , which they arrive at in the year 2093 .
The picture explores the metal money known as the Engineers who are suspect to be the creators of human race . However , it is also shown that they are interested in creating new species as well . While a traditional Xenomorph does n’t appear in the movie , the picture ends with an alien creature go forth from an Engineer ’s thorax which resemble the classic monstrosity .
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien : Covenantcontinued Ridley Scott ’s prequel geographic expedition of theAlienuniverse without directly tying to the original movie . The film takes place11 years after the event ofPrometheusin the twelvemonth 2104 . It follows a colonizer ship that is damaged during its flight of stairs and crash land on a apparently habitable satellite . There , they encounter David , Michael Fassbender ’s android fromPrometheus , who is continuing his missionary post of breeding the alien species .
like to the foreigner that appeared at the terminal ofPrometheus , Alien : Covenantfeatures a variety of monsters that areclose congeneric of the classic Xenomorphsrather than directly recreating them . However , the movie end with David leaving the planet along with two facehugger fertilized egg suggest that this is the origin of the giving birth of the Xenomorphs . While there were reportedly plans to continue the prequel series , those ideas were abandoned following the lukewarm response toAlien : Covenant .
Alien (1979)
The originalAlientakes office in 2122 , roughly two decades after the issue ofAlien : Covenant . This is the first presentation of Ellen Ripley in the enfranchisement as well as her first appearance in the timeline . Ripley is part of a commercial blank vessel calledNostromothat is traveling through space when the crew is awoken by the ship ’s computer having detected a distress signal . The signal draws the gang to a barren planet where they encounter the facehugger egg and inadvertently allow an foreign brute on plug-in their ship .
The movie gives the best glimpse at the full cycles/second of the Xenomorph with it beginning as the egg , which releases the facehugger onto its dupe . The babe Xenomorph then grows inside its host ’s body until it is ready to bust out through the chest . It then rapidly grow into the killer grownup Xenomorph . The movie ends with Ripley as the sole human survivor , escaping theNostromoin an escape seedcase and entering stasis .
Alien: Romulus (2024)
noncitizen : Romulus is the 7th cinema in the Alien enfranchisement . The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focalize on a new young group of type who come face to face with the terrific Xenomorphs . extraterrestrial : Romulus is a stand up - alone motion picture and takes berth in a metre not yet search in the Alien dealership .
Alien : Romulusreturns to the timeline of the original series of motion-picture show , but function as a prequel to most of theAlienmovies . The latesttakes blank space between the case ofAlienandAliens,20 eld after the events of the original movie . The film follows a young group of colonists who turn up a broken - down space post in which they find the deadly Xenomorph and have to fight for survival .
Despite its placement , this is the firstAlienmovie of the chief timeline not to boast thecharacter of Ellen Ripley . or else , Alien : Romulusfeaturesa unexampled young cast of fictional character with the like of Cailee Spaeny , David Josson , and Isabela Merced . However , it does connect to the original movie in some interesting way of life , including the return of Ash ( Ian Holm ) . The movie is orchestrate by New revulsion lord Fede Álvarez with Ridley Scott producing .
Aliens (1986)
James Cameron take the helm of theAlienfranchise for the first sequel , Aliens , which was a much more action - large account compared to the restrained thriller approaching of Ridley Scott’sAlien . The movietakes place near 60 eld after the events ofAlienin the year 2179 . The story set out with Ripley ’s pod being located and her being arouse from stasis . She then study that there has been a settlement set up on the same moon where she and theNostromocrew run across the facehuggers .
With communication to the colony dead stopping , Ripley joins a group of devil dog going to the innocent moonshine to look into . Ripley also meet fellow heroes , Hicks , Bishop , and young Newt . Aliensfurther explores the malefic schemes of the Weyland - Yuntani Corporation who are assay to use the Xenomorphs for villainous purposes . It is also the first encounter with a Xenomorph Queen in the franchise .
Alien 3 (1992)
ThoughAlien 3came out several days afterAliens , the story picked up in the same yr , 2179 . This is explicate as the escape ship Ripley , Newt and Hicks were in at the end ofAliensis revealed to have had a facehugger inside . The ship go down on a prison satellite with Ripley as the only subsister . As she organise an uneasy bond with the prisoner of the planet , the stowaway facehugger latches onto a weenie and begins its terrifying round .
Alien 3showed that Weyland - Yutani was still trying to get their hand on a Xenomorph , and Ripley ends up being key to that . It is unveil that she was infected by a facehugger as well and that she has a chestburster growing inside of her . At the goal of the film , Ripley decides to vote down herself and the noncitizen to avoid it shine into the wrong hands . This serves as the last appearance of the original Ellen Ripley in the timeline .
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
The net movie in theAlientimeline to date isAlien : Christ’s Resurrection . The picture show leap out ahead more than 200 year travel along the previous film with it set in the twelvemonth 2381.Sigourney Weaver recall to the dealership for the fourth metre . However , while her original character ofRipley is support to have die inAlien 3,she appears inAlien : Resurrectionas a knockoff of Ripley . It is bring out that Ripley ’s parentage and the blood of a Xenomorph Queen were used to revivify a clon of Ripley that still had a Xenomorph embryo inside .
After they were able-bodied to draw out the embryo from the Ripley clone , Xenomorphs were then bred aboard a distance vessel until they inevitably broke loose and set out their violent disorder . The picture is also notable for including a human / Xenomorph loanblend . The motion picture terminate with Ripley and the other survivors dash onto Earth . However , the hope of this conduct to an US Army of Xenomorphs on Earth has not yet fare to fruition .
What’s The Best Way To Watch The Alien Movies In Order?
The Release Order Offers The True Look At The Overall Alien Story
Given that theAlienfranchise traverse grand of year in this future context , it is a lot of fun to see the mythology play out in chronological order . This is sure as shooting true of fan of the dealership who have watched all of the movies already and want to bump a raw path to rewatch them and enjoy them differently . However , the best way to watch theAlienmovies , specially for first - time viewers , is by following the waiver order .
The release club is generally the best version to watch to get a sense of the filmmaker ' intent . They are cognisant of what the audience already knows from the antecedently released moving-picture show and thus form their story consequently . The dull - suntan reveal inAlienwould have been less impactful had the audience seenPrometheusfirst . Conversely , Prometheusis less interesting without birth seenAlienfirst . Alien : Romulusis another gravid example of this as it take place beforeAliensand all of the sequel after that , but it pay court to them in sport ways .
Watching theAlienmovies in release guild is also important to see the spark of Ellen Ripley . The enfranchisement would never have been what it is today had it not been for this fiber that Sigourney Weaver made into an icon . Seeing Ripley through the first four movies helps the consultation grow that adhesion to her and stool the enfranchisement more engaging . It was something that was drop in the prequels and interrupting her arc to watchAlien : Romulusbecause it came out beforeAliensignores her importance .
The Future Of The Alien Franchise
A Sequel And Possible Crossover Are On The Horizon
exotic : Romulushas give a surge to the pop sci - fi horror franchise , ensuring that it will proceed on with a new instalment without such a long postponement this time around . A sequel toAlien : Romulusis already in the works with director Fede Alvarez returning . WhileAlien : Romuluspaid court to other movies in the franchise and leaned into the establish expectations of these movies , Alvarez hinted at a bolder take on theAlien : Romulussequel :
Rodo [ Sayagues , co - writer ] and I are working on that right on now . We ’re excited about where it can go . We ’ve almost check all of the boxes of things that I want to see [ inRomulus ] , and brought back a good deal of the thing I had n’t seen in a while . Wherever we go now , we can go into uncharted body of water . I mean it ’ll be so exciting to go with characters you know from this movie , to a place in theAlienfranchise that we ’ve never been before , and to attain thing that you ’ve never seen before .
While it was expected that stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson would be recapitulate their roles as Rain and Andy respectively , Alvarez suggests the nextAlienmovie will only be a direct subsequence toAlien : Romulusif the story fits , mean that the new movie could take place elsewhere in theAlientimeline . Along with the sequel , Alvarez has also suggested that he is receptive to dilate the franchise in an exciting crossover voter . Alvarez state interest in team withPreydirector Dan Trachtenberg fora newAlien vs Predatormovie :
Maybe it ’s something I have to co - verbatim with my buddy Dan . Maybe we should do like Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did withDusk Till Dawn . I’ll unmediated a half , and he ’ll direct another half . It depends on how well this ( Romulus ) does , if people want to see that .
It is unclear how serious Alvarez is about the musical theme , but it is doubtlessly an exciting one . TheAlien vs. Predatormovies were seen as disappointments by fans of both musical genre , never taking advantage of the premiss ’s potential . However , with two conductor who are already dig in in these franchises and have delivered great movies , it could ensue in a in truth fitting face-off between these iconic movie monsters .
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
