Alien: Awakening – Is It Happening?

Little evidence for the untimely death of “Alien: Awakening” is quite so convincing as the existence of Disney’s two upcoming “Alien” projects.

In December 2020, Variety reported that “Legion” and “Fargo” showrunner Noah Hawley had signed up to bring an “Alien” TV series to FX. (Ridley Scott later came on as producer.) The network’s chief John Landrag also revealed that the series will take place on Earth and blend the “timeless horror of the first ‘Alien’ film with the non-stop action of the second.” Pre-production started in earnest soon after, and while roadblocks have appeared — namely, the SAG-AFTRA strike forcing production to work around its lead cast — things appear to be on track for a release sometime in the next couple of years.

Meanwhile, “Don’t Breathe” and “Evil Dead” filmmaker Fede Álvarez is currently knee-deep in his own standalone “Alien” movie, which, according to production leaks, appears to be titled “Alien: Romulus.” According to 20th Century Studios (via Variety), “Romulus” follows “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.” Production began on March 9, 2023, with the movie set for a theatrical release on August 16, 2024.

Clearly, Disney has its hands full with other “Alien” ideas for the time being. While these are standalone projects, divorced from the narrative of Ridley Scott’s prequels, their success would likely spur a number of sequels, spin-offs, or prequels of their own. If that happens, you can probably bid farewell to any chance of ever getting to see “Alien: Awakening.”