Learn how to watch the Alien movies so as

All of us love a cinematic universe, nevertheless it is not typically that two main franchises turn out to be linked after the very fact. Because of the Alien vs Predator movies, the Alien and Predator franchises converged to happen in the identical timeline. Now, there are 12 motion pictures in complete to look at when you really feel like revisiting what’s often called the Alien Universe. The oldest is Ridley Scott’s 1979 traditional Alien, set in 2122. Nevertheless, the earliest movie chronologically is the most recent movie, Prey, set in 1719.

Additional complicating issues, the movies’ creators have planted easter eggs in different motion pictures. Coupled with on-line theories, this has resulted within the inclusion of Blade Runner into the Alien Universe. (It shares the identical director as Alien, Ridley Scott.) That can assist you make sense of the Alien-Predator timeline, we put all of the movies in chronological order, with Blade Runner as a bonus.

Now’s a good time to dive-in to the shared universe of Aliens and Predators. There is a new Alien movie within the works from director Fede Alvarez referred to as Alien: Romulus attributable to hit theaters on August 16, 2024, that shall be set between the primary and second Alien movies. So far as a brand new Predator film, twentieth Century has put Dan Trachtenberg in control of these aliens after he directed 2022’s shock hit Prey. He’ll direct a brand new Predator movie set sooner or later referred to as Badlands, in addition to overseeing different Predator-based content material. Additionally, do not forget Disney‘s first Alien TV show has wrapped filming and is due out on FX in 2025. It’s going to be the primary TV sequence primarily based on the traditional movie sequence, and is about three a long time earlier than the unique Alien movie.

1 Prey

Comanche Warrior vs Predator

Set in 1719 on the American Nice Plains, Prey stars Amber Midthunder as Naru, a younger lady coaching to turn out to be a Comanche hunter. Sadly, a predator decides to hunt her and the remainder of the hunters in her neighborhood. Prey released on Hulu on 5 August 2022 within the US, and within the UK, it is out there on Disney+. It was written by Patrick Aison and directed by Dan Trachtenberg. It incorporates a forged virtually solely of First Nation’s expertise, together with Midthunder and Dakota Beavers.

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2 Predator

The primary Predator movie

Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (performed by Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his group of elite troopers are despatched on a mission to rescue hostages from a Central American jungle. Quickly after touchdown, the group encounters proof that the mission isn’t all that it appears. Actually, they’re those being hunted by a Predator alien.

Carl Weathers stars as Dutch’s pal, Dillon. And John McTiernan directed the movie. Shane Black performs Hawkins and would go on to direct one other entry within the sequence.

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3 Predator 2

The predator involves LA

This Predator sequel traded within the jungles for the skyscrapers of Los Angeles. Danny Glover stars as Michael R Harrigan, a lieutenant on the LAPD preventing towards warring drug cartels. The closely armed feud between the cartels and the police draw the eye of a Predator in search of new prey. When Harrigan begins to suspect one thing out of this world is murdering gang members, he meets Particular Agent Peter Keyes (performed by Gary Busey), who leads a particular authorities activity drive hoping to seize the Predator.

Stephen Hopkins directed Predator 2.

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4 Alien vs Predator

A heavyweight battle between traditional film monsters

When a satellite tv for pc discovers a warmth signature beneath the ice of Antarctica, the proprietor of the Weyland Company, Charles Bishop Weyland (performed by Lance Henriksen), assembles a group to analyze. It is headed by a information named Alexa Woods (performed by Sanaa Lathan). As soon as there, the group discovers a pyramid below the ice constructed by an unknown alien civilization.

Paul WS Anderson directed Alien vs Predator.

5 Alien vs Predator Requiem

Introducing the Predalien: an alien-predator hybrid

This Alien vs Predator sequel picks up immediately after the occasions of the 2004 movie: we see a Predator spaceship carrying an Alien-Predator hybrid crash in Colorado proper as Dallas Howard (performed by Steven Pasquale) is returning to reunite along with his youthful brother Ricky (Johnny Lewis). The ship releases the Predalien onto the city, together with facehugger aliens, which create extra Xenomorph (Aliens). If that wasn’t sufficient, the final surviving Predator calls in reinforcements.

Greg and Colin Strause directed this installment.

6 The Predator

The U.S. authorities captures a Predator

A Predator ship crash-lands, and a surviving Predator assaults a US Military group in the midst of a rescue mission. Military Sniper Quinn McKenna (performed by Boyd Holbrook) incapacitates the extraterrestrial monster, however quickly, each he and the Predator are taken into custody by the US authorities and Particular Agent Will Traeger (performed by Sterling Okay Brown).

Shane Black, who starred within the unique Predator as Hawkins, directed this movie.

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7 Predators

The hunt is on

A gaggle of individuals together with a Spetnaz soldier, Israeli Protection Forces sniper, a number of drug cartel enforcers, and a demise row inmate are led by a mysterious soldier named Royce (performed by Adrien Brody) by means of a jungle, which they parachuted into whereas unconscious. Quickly, the group finds themselves being hunted by two completely different teams of Predators.

Nimrod Antal directed Predators.

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8 Prometheus

An origin story for Aliens

The opening scene of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus exhibits the Alien race (often called Engineers) seeding life on Earth earlier than leaping to the 12 months 2089. There, a discovery by archeologists Elizabeth Shaw (performed by Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (performed by Logan Marshall-Inexperienced) leads the Weyland Company to dispatch the duo on an investigation of the planet LV-223. Man Pearce performs Peter Weyland on this movie. He is the son of Charles Bishop Weyland in Alien vs Predator.

Lis Anna-Langston directed Prometheus

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9 Alien Covenant

Who made the Aliens?

Set 11 years after Prometheus in 2104, The Covenant is a colonization ship headed towards Origae-6 when it suffers harm from a shockwave, forcing the ship’s android Walter (performed by Michael Fassbender) to awaken the human crew members. Whereas repairing the ship, the crew discovers the transmission of a human voice from a close-by liveable planet. Fassbender performs not solely Walter but additionally Peter Weyland’s android, David, from Prometheus.

Ridley Scott returned to the Alien sequence to direct Covenant.

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10 Alien

The movie that began the universe

That is truly the oldest movie on this whole checklist (and probably the very best), nevertheless it’s set father alongside within the Alien Universe timeline. In 2122, the crew of the Nostromo is on their manner again to Earth once they obtain a transmission from a close-by moon often called LV-426. After they reply to the beacon, govt officer Kane (performed by John Harm) is attacked by an Alien that emerges from an egg-like cocoon. This movie introduces Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley.

Alien was directed by Ridley Scott.

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11 Alien: Romulus

Bridging the hole between the primary two movies

The Alien franchise appears to be like to return to its horror roots with the most recent entry within the franchise. The movie is written and directed by Fede Álvarez, who’s recognized for his work on horror movies like 2014’s Evil Useless and 2016’s Do not Breathe and trailers for the movie have proven off the emphasis on scaring the viewers with the several types of xenomorphs.

The movie is about between the occasions of the 1979’s Alien and 1987’s Aliens, and can presumably inform the story of how the mining colony on LZ-426 found the derelict ship that crashed there on the finish of Alien Covenant. Cailee Spaeny is about to star within the new movie, and her character appears to be like to be impressed by Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley from the unique Alien movies.

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12 Aliens

Again to LV-426

Ripley is awoken from stasis after 57 years of floating by means of house. The Weyland-Yutani Company dismisses her claims about discovering the ship filled with Xenomorph eggs on LV-426 as a result of the planet is now the location of a profitable colony often called Hadley’s Hope. That’s till they instantly lose all communication with the colony – at which level they ask Ripley to return as a guide to a bunch of marines. The movie additionally stars Michael Biehn as Corporal Dwayne Hicks and Invoice Paxton as Personal Hudson.

Aliens is directed by James Cameron.

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13 Alien 3

Ripley and an Alien land on a jail planet with no hopes of escape

Set instantly after Aliens, the ship carrying the survivors of Hadley’s Hope catches fireplace. A survival pod is ejected and crash lands on Fiorina 161, a jail planet populated by violent male inmates. The one survivor is Ripley and a facehugger, which quickly attaches onto an inmate’s canine. As soon as full-grown, the Xenomorph begins working its manner by means of the prisoners.

This movie marks the debut of director David Fincher.

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14 Alien Resurrection

Ripley is resurrected together with a xenomorph

Alien Resurrection sees a 200-year leap ahead within the timeline to 2379. Scientists aboard the USM Auriga have cloned Ripley to reap the embryo of a Queen Xenomorph. After all, the full-grown Alien queen escapes with the assistance of another lab-grown Xenomorphs, and it’s as much as Ripley and a bunch of mercenaries together with Wynona Ryder as Annalee Name and Ron Pearlman as Ron Johner.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet directed this installment.

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15 Blade Runner

A sci-fi neo-noir story set in a futuristic Los Angeles

Rick Deckard (performed by Harrison Ford) is a former police officer who’s taken up the occupation of a Blade Runner. His job is to trace down rogue artificial people often called replicants. His newest case is to fund and retire 4 Nexus-6 replicants led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer).

The movie is about in 2019, so about 100 years earlier than the occasions of 1979’s Alien, however Ridley Scott, the director of each movies, sees the movies as intrinsically linked, saying as soon as in a Blade Runner director’s commentary: “This world may simply be town that helps the crew that exit in Alien. So, in different phrases, when the crew of Alien come again in, they could go into this place and go right into a bar off the road close to the place Deckard lives. That’s how I thought of it.”

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16 Soldier

A thrown-out soldier faces off with the younger group that changed him

Soldier might be essentially the most stunning film on this checklist. It follows the story of a bunch of orphans, born in 1996 and raised to be the right troopers. A gap montage exhibits the group by means of their early coaching and thru 40 years of preventing below the management of Sgt. Todd 3465 (performed by Kurt Russell). If you happen to look carefully, you’ll discover a few of the wars the troopers battle in are the identical ones the replicant Roy Batty was a veteran of in Blade Runner. When a brand new group of genetically enhanced troopers exchange Todd’s group, he finds himself dumped on a trash planet experiencing life for the primary time.

Soldier was written by David Peoples, who co-wrote Blade Runner and has stated he views the movies as occurring in the identical universe, so if we’re counting Blade Runner, now we have to rely this film, too.

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17 Blade Runner 2049

A sequel a long-time within the making

Okay (performed by Ryan Gosling), is a replicant Blade Runner. Whereas out on an project, he discovers a field that has the stays of a replicant that died throughout a cesarean part, which is uncommon as a result of replicants aren’t supposed to breed. The following investigation reveals that the physique of the replicant is Rachael (performed by Sean Younger), a particular replicant designed by Eldon Tyrell, who ran off with Rick Deckard (performed by Harrison Ford) within the unique Blade Runner. The movie was directed by Denis Villeneuve. So far as easter eggs go, preserve your eyes peeled for the replicants in jars that Okay sees whereas he is escorted by means of the Wallace Company. They’ve a sneaky resemblance to the Engineers.

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18 Elective: Firefly and Serenity

A sci-fi sequence earlier than its time

This Joss Whedon TV sequence and its function movie are additionally theorized to be a part of the Alien Universe, though we wouldn’t precisely name it canon. The sequence is about within the 12 months 2517, which might be 138 years after Alien Resurrection and one other 200 years after the remainder of the occasions within the universe. There’s no must look additional than the primary episode for the connection to the Alien Universe. Throughout an area dogfight, you get a view of the hud of one of many weapons aboard the spaceship Serenity, the place you possibly can see the Weyland-Yutani company emblem from Alien.

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FAQ

Q: Learn how to watch the Alien Universe in chronological order

This can be a model of the information above, full with bonus/non-obligatory Alien Universe timeline motion pictures, however freed from spoilers. We have additionally included the 2 latest movies and TV sequence the place they’re reportedly set. Alien: Romulus will happen between the primary two Alien movies, whereas the brand new TV sequence is reported to happen 3 a long time earlier than the unique Alien movie. Badlands, the most recent predator movie, will happen someday sooner or later.

1. Prey (2022)
2. Predator (1987)
3. Predator 2 (1990)
4. Alien vs Predator (2004)
5. Alien vs Predator Requiem (2007)
6. The Predator (2018)
7. Predators (2010)
8. Badlands (2025)
9. Blade Runner (1982)
10. Soldier (1998)
11. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
12. Prometheus (2008)
13. Alien: TV sequence (2025)
14. Alien Covenant (2017)
15. Alien (1979)
16. Alien: Romulus (2024)
17. Aliens (1986)
18. Alien 3 (1992)
19. Alien Resurrection (1997)
20. Elective: Firefly (2002 to 2003 TV sequence) and Serenity (2005 TV sequence)

Q: Learn how to watch the Alien Universe in theatrical launch date order

Once more, it is a model of the information above, however freed from spoilers and likewise within the order wherein they premiered in theaters or on TV.

1. Alien (1979)
2. Blade Runner (1982)
3. Aliens (1986)
4. Predator (1987)
5. Predator 2 (1990)
6. Alien 3 (1992)
7. Alien Resurrection (1997)
8. Soldier (1998)
9. Elective: Firefly (2002 to 2003 TV sequence)
10. Elective: Serenity (2005 TV sequence)
11. Alien vs Predator (2004)
12. Alien vs Predator Requiem (2007)
13. Prometheus (2008)
14. Predators (2010)
15. The Predator (2018)
16. Alien Covenant (2017)
17. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
18. Prey (2022)
19. Alien: Romulus (2024)
20. Badlands (2025)

Q: Learn how to watch the Alien motion pictures solely in chronological order?

The following Alien movie, Alien: Romulus, is about to hit theaters on August 16, 2024. Fede Álvarez will write and direct the brand new movie that is reportedly set between the occasions of Alien and Aliens. Here is all of the Alien movies in chronological order.

1. Alien vs Predator (2004)
2. Alien vs Predator Requiem (2007)
3. Prometheus (2008)
4. Alien Covenant (2017)
5. Alien (1979)
6. Alien: Romulus (2024)
7. Aliens (1986)
8. Alien 3 (1992)
9. Alien Resurrection (1997)

Q: Learn how to watch the Predator motion pictures solely in chronological order

The following entry within the Predator franchise is about to be launched in 2025. It is titled Badlands and Dan Trachtenberg will return to direct. The movie shall be set sooner or later, making it the primary Predator movie not set prior to now or current. Here is all of the Predator movies in chronological order.

1. Prey (2022)
2. Predator (1987)
3. Predator 2 (1990)
4. Alien vs Predator (2004)
5. Alien vs Predator Requiem (2007)
6. The Predator (2018)
7. Predators (2010)
8. Badlands (2025)