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The Definitive 2024 Guide: How To Watch All 10 Alien Movies In Chronological And Release Order

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For decades, the *Alien* franchise has terrified and fascinated audiences, setting the gold standard for sci-fi horror with its relentless Xenomorph creature and the iconic survivor, Ellen Ripley. With a sprawling, often confusing timeline that jumps between prequels, sequels, and a brand-new installment in 2024, figuring out the correct viewing order can be a daunting task. The newest film, *Alien: Romulus*, further complicates the saga by slotting itself directly into the original timeline, making an updated guide essential.

As of December 23, 2025, the *Alien* universe consists of nine feature films and an upcoming tenth, spanning from the origins of the mysterious Engineers to the far future. Whether you want to experience the story as it was originally released in theaters, or follow the complete, in-universe chronological narrative—including the controversial *Alien vs. Predator* (AVP) crossover films—this guide provides the definitive, most current list to prepare you for the latest chapter from director Fede Álvarez.

The Complete Alien Franchise Filmography (Release Order)

Watching the films in their theatrical release order is the traditional approach, allowing you to experience the story and the evolution of the sci-fi horror genre as audiences did. This order is highly recommended for first-time viewers, as it preserves the mysteries and reveals of the original films before the prequels (*Prometheus* and *Alien: Covenant*) explain the origin of the Xenomorph.

  • 1. Alien (1979)
    • Director: Ridley Scott
    • Main Cast: Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
    • Significance: The original masterpiece that introduced the Xenomorph, the Facehugger, the Chestburster, and the sinister Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
  • 2. Aliens (1986)
    • Director: James Cameron
    • Main Cast: Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton
    • Significance: A shift from horror to action-packed military sci-fi, introducing the Alien Queen and the concept of a hive.
  • 3. Alien 3 (1992)
    • Director: David Fincher
    • Main Cast: Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance
    • Significance: A controversial, darker entry that sees Ripley stranded on a penal colony planet.
  • 4. Alien: Resurrection (1997)
    • Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
    • Main Cast: Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman
    • Significance: Set 200 years after *Alien 3*, Ripley is cloned along with the Alien Queen embryo she carried.
  • 5. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
    • Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
    • Main Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen
    • Significance: The first crossover film, setting the action in 2004 on Earth. This film is generally considered non-canonical to the main *Alien* saga.
  • 6. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
    • Director: The Strause Brothers
    • Main Cast: Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz
    • Significance: A direct sequel to AVP, introducing the hybrid Predalien. Also non-canonical to the main story.
  • 7. Prometheus (2012)
    • Director: Ridley Scott
    • Main Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender (David 8), Charlize Theron
    • Significance: The first prequel, exploring the origins of humanity and the mysterious Engineers, and introducing the Black Goo.
  • 8. Alien: Covenant (2017)
    • Director: Ridley Scott
    • Main Cast: Michael Fassbender (David 8/Walter), Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup
    • Significance: A direct sequel to *Prometheus* that bridges the gap to the original *Alien*, detailing the horrifying creation of the modern Xenomorph by the synthetic David 8.
  • 9. Alien: Romulus (2024)
    • Director: Fede Álvarez
    • Main Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
    • Significance: The newest installment, set to be released on August 16, 2024, which chronologically takes place between the events of *Alien* and *Aliens*.

The Ultimate Chronological Timeline (In-Universe Story Order)

For fans who want to follow the narrative from the very beginning of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's dark experiments and the creation of the Xenomorph, the chronological order is the way to go. This sequence treats the *Prometheus* and *Covenant* prequels as the true starting point of the saga. Note that the AVP films are placed at the beginning, as they are set earliest in the chronological timeline, though they are often ignored by purists.

Phase 1: The Origins of the Xenomorph and the Engineers

This phase focuses on the creation myths, the mysterious Engineers, the terrifying Black Goo, and the synthetic David 8's role in weaponizing the creature.

  1. Alien vs. Predator (2004)

    The earliest events in the timeline, set on Earth in 2004, where the Predators use humans as bait to hunt Xenomorphs in an ancient pyramid. This is the only film set in the present day, making it the chronological starting point, though its connection to the main saga is tenuous.

  2. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

    Immediately follows AVP, detailing the fallout of the Xenomorph/Predator conflict in a small US town.

  3. Prometheus (2012)

    Set in 2093, a crew aboard the starship *Prometheus* travels to LV-223 to find the Engineers, humanity's creators, only to discover their deadly biological weapon, the Black Goo. This film introduces the seeds of the Xenomorph's existence.

  4. Alien: Covenant (2017)

    Set in 2104, 11 years after *Prometheus*. The synthetic David 8 is revealed to have experimented with the Black Goo, leading to the deliberate creation of the classic Xenomorph species. This film provides the definitive link between the prequels and the original story.

Phase 2: The Core Saga of Ellen Ripley and the Nostromo Crew

This section covers the first encounters with the fully-formed Xenomorph and the decades-long struggle of Ellen Ripley against the creature and the corrupt Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

  1. Alien (1979)

    Set in 2122, 18 years after *Alien: Covenant*. The commercial towing vehicle *Nostromo* intercepts a distress signal on planetoid LV-426, leading to the first encounter with the creature that would become known as the Xenomorph. This is the origin story of Ellen Ripley as a survivor.

  2. NEW ENTRY: Alien: Romulus (2024)

    This film is set to take place between *Alien* (2122) and *Aliens* (2179). The story focuses on a new group of young space scavengers who come into contact with the most terrifying life form in the universe. Its placement here means it occurs in the decades following the destruction of the *Nostromo* and before Ripley's rescue.

  3. Aliens (1986)

    Set in 2179, 57 years after *Alien*. Ellen Ripley is rescued from hypersleep and returns to LV-426, now colonized, with a squad of Colonial Marines to combat a full-blown Xenomorph infestation. This is where the franchise’s mythos and scale truly expanded.

  4. Alien 3 (1992)

    Set immediately after *Aliens* in 2179. Ripley crash-lands on Fiorina "Fury" 161, a maximum-security penal colony, carrying a Xenomorph Queen embryo inside her. This film concludes Ripley's direct battle with the creature—for a time.

  5. Alien: Resurrection (1997)

    Set in 2379, 200 years after *Alien 3*. Ripley is cloned by the military to extract the Queen embryo she was carrying, leading to a new, terrifyingly unique strain of Xenomorph and a hybrid Newborn creature. This is the final film in the original Ellen Ripley arc.

Deep Dive: Topical Authority and Key Entities

To fully appreciate the *Alien* franchise, understanding the key terminology and recurring entities is crucial. These elements are what tie the entire saga together and give it its distinctive topical authority in the sci-fi horror genre.

The Xenomorph XX121 Life Cycle

The creature itself is the star, and its life cycle is a central element of the horror.

  • Egg (Ovomorph): The starting point, often laid by the Alien Queen.
  • Facehugger: An arachnid-like creature that bursts from the egg and attaches to a host's face to implant an embryo.
  • Chestburster: The larval stage that violently erupts from the host's chest, a scene that remains one of cinema's most shocking moments.
  • Drone/Warrior: The adult stage, a highly aggressive, biomechanical creature with acid blood and an inner jaw.
  • Alien Queen: The massive, egg-laying matriarch of the hive, first introduced in *Aliens*.

The Architects of Terror: Engineers, David 8, and Weyland-Yutani

The true villains of the franchise are not just the creatures, but the entities obsessed with them.

  • The Engineers: Introduced in *Prometheus*, these mysterious, ancient humanoid beings are revealed to be the creators of humanity and the original wielders of the Black Goo, a biological weapon that serves as the catalyst for the Xenomorph.
  • David 8: The highly sophisticated synthetic (android) created by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, played by Michael Fassbender. David's intellectual curiosity and moral detachment are directly responsible for weaponizing the Black Goo and genetically engineering the final, terrifying Xenomorph seen in the original films, making him the true creator of the monster.
  • Weyland-Yutani Corporation: The omnipresent, ruthless megacorporation that serves as the primary antagonist throughout the main saga. Their sole objective, often at the expense of human life, is to capture a living Xenomorph specimen for use as a biological weapon, a goal infamously summarized as "The Company's" directive.

What to Expect from Alien: Romulus (2024)

The upcoming film *Alien: Romulus* is a major event for the franchise, signaling a return to the gritty, claustrophobic horror of the original film. Directed by Fede Álvarez, known for his work in the horror genre, the movie is a standalone story that is officially canon and takes place between *Alien* and *Aliens*. The focus is on a new cast of young adults, including Cailee Spaeny, who are forced to confront a terrifying Xenomorph threat on a derelict space station.

This placement is significant because it fills a 57-year gap in the timeline, confirming that the Xenomorph threat was not isolated to the *Nostromo* incident but was still active in the galaxy before Ripley's return to LV-426 in *Aliens*. This new entry promises to re-establish the core elements that made the original films classics: tension, practical effects, and pure, unadulterated body horror.

The Definitive 2024 Guide: How to Watch All 10 Alien Movies in Chronological and Release Order
aliens movies in order
aliens movies in order

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