Alien is a groundbreaking science fiction horror and action franchise centered around the iconic battle between warrant officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly extraterrestrial lifeform known as the “Alien” or Xenomorph. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Studios, the series began in 1979 with Ridley Scott’s Alien, and was followed by three sequels: Aliens (1986), directed by James Cameron; Alien 3 (1992), directed by David Fincher; and Alien Resurrection (1997), directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Ridley Scott later returned to direct a prequel series, which includes Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), exploring the origins of the creatures and the mysterious Engineers through the exploits of the android, David 8.
The Alien franchise has expanded beyond films, inspiring a wealth of novels, comics, video games, and an upcoming television series developed by Scott for FX on Hulu, with Noah Hawley at the helm. The franchise has also given birth to numerous spin-offs, most notably the Alien vs. Predator series, which intertwines the Alien and Predator universes, leading to two films and various books, comics, and games.
With Alien 5: Romulus (2025), the saga takes a bold new direction, promising to add even more depth to the terrifying, expansive world of Xenomorphs and the legacy of Ripley’s enduring battle for survival.
