Quite possibly the most famous science fiction franchise to come out of Hollywood aside from its inadvertent cousin ‘Predator’, the ‘Alien’ saga by 20th Century Fox is nothing short of a cultural milestone. With a whopping 7 feature films, a TV series, and a series of crossover films (that may or may not be canon) released up till now, the Alien franchise has been undoubtedly hard to navigate for the newbies. So what exactly is the correct order to watch the films in this franchise? Take a trip down memory lane with us as we unearth the mysteries of the xenomorph, both by release date order Alien movies chronological order
The easiest and most straightforward way to dive into this franchise is by release order, watching films in the order they were released. This means Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) comes first, James Cameron’s Aliens (1986) being second, David Fincher’s Alien 3 (1992) being third, and then 1997's Alien: Resurrection. Next up are the two crossover films, Aliens vs Predator (2004) and AvP: Requiem (2007), but you can skip them if you want, as some stakeholders, including Ridley Scott himself, don't consider them canon. The 2012 prequel Prometheus then comes up next, followed by Alien: Covenant (2017). Finally, the last film in the series is 2024's Alien: Romulus.
Following the release order of the films has two benefits. One, we get to see the franchise develop in real time. We see how the first four films managed to come together, only for Fox to drop a torpedo on everything with the crossovers. This directly caused Scott’s return to the franchise, only for his prequels to receive a somewhat mixed reception that once again forced the franchise in a new direction. Two, it streamlines any changes in technology and visual effects. The technical aspects of the films become better with time and are thus much easier to accept for the viewers.
Like many other franchises, the Alien franchise expanded by going into the past, when going into the future did not make thematic sense anymore. As a result, the later films in the franchise are prequels to the four original films. Sometimes, this creative decision was made to explore some pressing unanswered questions from the past (like the origins of the Jockey in Alien 1979), while other times, newer filmmakers wanted to avoid the complexities of canon that future installments often fall prey to. Thus, it does make a modicum of sense to revisit this franchise chronologically as well, to explore how the story unfurls in real time.
READ NEXT: Alien 5: Will Sigourney Weaver Return as Ellen Ripley?
Chronologically, the two Alien vs Predator films come first as they take place in the then-present day (2004 and 2007, respectively). However, you can choose to ignore them if you want, as Scott has written them out of the franchise. Scott’s Prometheus (2012) is the next film to see, followed by its quasi-sequel Alien: Covenant (2017). Then comes the original film that started it all: Scott’s 1979 horror masterpiece Alien. Fede Alvarez’s 2024 film Alien: Romulus is next, tucked away nicely between the 1979 franchise starter and James Cameron’s 1986 bombastic sequel, Aliens.
After diving into Cameron’s sequel, the next entry is David Fincher’s Alien 3 (1992), and finally, we have 1997’s Alien Resurrection. Watching the films in this way might be a little jarring as the visuals and effects have come a long way from 1979, and thus, constantly shifting between films released decades apart might take you out of the experience entirely. However, this sequence honors the franchise’s timeline, which, to say the least, has been quite confusing. So if you don't want to pause after each film to wonder where it takes place in time and how a character shows up in a particular place, then watching the franchise in this way is the proper way to go.
READ NEXT: James Cameron Is Writing A New Terminator Movie
A particular point of contention in any viewing has been the two Alien vs. Predator movies. A result of an ill-advised attempt by Fox to merge two of its most famous monster franchises, the AvP films have their fans and their detractors, but it's best to consider them non-canonical when trying to understand the lore behind the Alien movies. While the first AvP is somewhat of a harmless fun time, the second one was absolutely abysmal, which (thankfully) heralded the end of this experiment. However, both the character and actor of Bishop (the android from Aliens and Alien 3) make an appearance in the first AvP, throwing a wrench into the thinking that these films are not part of the same universe. If one absolutely has to watch these films as part of the marathon, then do so with your thinking caps off.
Then there’s the issue of Fargo creator Noah Hawley’s Alien show, titled Alien: Earth. Taking place before Prometheus, the show absolutely takes place in the same timeline as the films and has quite a few nods to the films as well. However, it makes the lore more complex, and thus, it's best if we treat it as its own separate entity.
READ NEXT: Mad Max: The Wasteland — What We Know So Far
So, for the newbies, the release order of the films is the way to go. It's much more straightforward and approaches the franchise in a way all audiences have: watching each new installment when it comes out. But if you are a die-hard fan and want to go deep into the canon, then a chronological viewing might make more sense. We absolutely do not recommend that first-time viewers approach the franchise chronologically, as the jarring changes in visuals and special effects might do more harm than good.
With a sequel to 2024’s Alien: Romulus in pre-production and Sigourney Weaver also meeting with Disney for a potential new Alien film starring her character, it is an exciting time to be an Alien fan. As the franchise canon potentially becomes more complex with each new release, we will revisit this article every time a new Alien film hits theatres. In the meantime, let us know in the comments below what you think is the best way to watch the Alien movies.
READ NEXT: Ranking All The Conjuring Movies
Alien movies chronological order
