In the world of science fiction, few franchises have left as indelible a mark as Alien. Since Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece introduced audiences to the nightmarish Xenomorph and the unflappable Ellen Ripley, the series has continually reinvented itself—through sequels, crossovers, and even video games. Now, with the arrival of Alien: Earth, streaming on FX and Hulu as of August 20, 2025, the franchise is boldly charting new territory. Not only does it bring the Xenomorphs to Earth for the very first time, but it also introduces a sweeping new vision of humanity’s future, dominated by all-powerful corporations and, perhaps most intriguingly, a new breed of hybrid being.
Set in the year 2120, Alien: Earth imagines a world where traditional governments have collapsed, replaced by the iron grip of five megacorporations known simply as the Five. According to Esquire, these corporations have carved up the globe into regional fiefdoms, transforming Earth into a modern-day feudal landscape. The most prominent among them is Weyland-Yutani, the notorious company that has haunted the Alien universe since the very beginning. Now, it controls virtually all of the Americas, maintaining its legacy of exploiting people and resources for profit, often with chilling indifference to human life.
But Alien: Earth isn’t just content to rehash old villains. Enter Prodigy, a relative newcomer to the Five but already a central player in the unfolding drama. Led by the world’s youngest trillionaire, Boy Kavalier (portrayed by Samuel Blenkin), Prodigy controls most of Asia, half of Africa, Australia, and Greenland. As reported by Esquire, Prodigy’s most critical project centers on the development of “hybrids”—a radical new technology that fuses the consciousness of living humans with synthetic bodies. The company’s ultimate goal? Nothing short of immortality, kept tightly under wraps until the time is right to cash in.
This race for immortality isn’t limited to Prodigy. All five corporations—Weyland-Yutani, Prodigy, Threshold (which owns Western Europe), Lynch (the former Russia), and Dynamic (holding the other half of Africa, the Middle East, and, in a surprising twist, the moon)—are embroiled in a technological arms race involving cyborgs, synthetics, and now hybrids. The stakes are existential, and the methods are often ruthless. In the show, the rivalry between Prodigy and Weyland-Yutani comes to a head over the mysterious New Siam crash site, prompting Weyland-Yutani to dispatch Morrow (Babou Ceesay) to infiltrate Prodigy and uncover its secrets by any means necessary. As Esquire notes, “Weyland-Yutani has activated one of its own, Morrow, to infiltrate Prodigy by any means necessary. His approach? Find the most vulnerable of Prodigy’s secret ‘Lost Boys.’”
Yet, for all the intrigue swirling around corporate espionage and the pursuit of eternal life, Alien: Earth also pays homage to its cinematic roots. The series opens in the cold reaches of space, deliberately echoing the claustrophobic terror of Ridley Scott’s original film. As GamesRadar observes, “Alien: Earth deliberately evokes the original Alien film, echoing everything from Ridley Scott’s production design to the alien attacks depicted in his classic movie.” This connection isn’t just a matter of style; it’s a thematic throughline that runs from the first film’s depiction of corporate greed and human vulnerability to the present-day show’s exploration of technological hubris and the limits of mortality.
One of the most fascinating innovations in Alien: Earth is the introduction of hybrid characters—human consciousnesses transferred into synthetic bodies. As Screen Rant explains, these hybrids combine “the strength of synthetics with a human soul.” They are faster and stronger than ordinary humans, potentially impervious to many of the threats that have haunted previous protagonists. This raises tantalizing possibilities for future Alien video games, where players might step into the shoes of a hybrid, wielding new abilities that could fundamentally alter the gameplay experience. No longer would survival hinge solely on stealth or desperation; hybrids could fight Xenomorphs on more equal footing, opening up new narrative and mechanical possibilities.
Of course, this evolution isn’t without its risks. As Screen Rant cautions, “The only risk that comes from using a character as powerful as a hybrid is how invulnerable they would be. As Alien: Isolation demonstrated, the helplessness of playing as a lone human against something as powerful as a Xenomorph makes for an unforgettable horror experience.” The tension between empowerment and vulnerability has always been at the heart of the franchise, and the introduction of hybrids threatens to upset that delicate balance. Will audiences still feel the same dread if their avatars are less fragile, less human?
For long-time fans, the arrival of hybrids and the corporatocracy of 2120 represent both a break from tradition and a continuation of the franchise’s core concerns. The Xenomorphs, with their lethal prowess and terrifying reproductive abilities, remain a constant existential threat. Ellen Ripley, the series’ iconic protagonist, embodied the struggle to keep these creatures out of the hands of “greed-driven corporate scientists.” Now, with the world run entirely by such scientists and their corporate overlords, the stakes have never been higher—or more relevant.
Yet, Alien: Earth doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Its influence and legacy ripple out into broader pop culture, as seen in the celebrated 1998 anime Cowboy Bebop. The episode “Toys in the Attic” stands as one of the best homages to Alien, featuring a deadly alien creature loose on a spaceship, heat vision goggles, flamethrowers, and even a climactic airlock ejection. As GamesRadar describes, “Everything from the use of heat vision tech and a flamethrower to battle an infectious alien hiding in the walls is ripped straight from Scott’s playbook.” The episode explores themes of mortality and trauma, using the alien as a metaphor for the dangers of neglect and the inevitability of the past catching up with us.
This intertextuality speaks to the enduring power of Alien as a cultural touchstone. The franchise’s DNA can be found in countless sci-fi stories, from anime to video games, each riffing on the primal fear and corporate cynicism that Scott’s original film so masterfully captured. With Alien: Earth, the series both honors this legacy and pushes it into uncharted territory, asking what it means to be human in a world where immortality is just another commodity and where the monsters may not be the only things lurking in the shadows.
As Alien: Earth releases new episodes weekly on Hulu and Disney Plus, fans old and new are tuning in to see where this latest chapter will lead. With its blend of corporate intrigue, technological innovation, and classic horror, the series stands as a testament to the franchise’s ability to evolve while staying true to its roots. One thing’s for sure: in the universe of Alien, the only constant is change—and the ever-present threat of the unknown.
