The cool thing about the Alien franchise is that there’s something for everyone. Want to see a truly horrifying thriller about a mysterious extraterrestrial? That’s what Alien is all about. Want an inspiring tale about a mother-figure stopping at nothing to protect her family with the help of James Cameron? Aliens is for you. Want to see a bunch of extraterrestrials duke it out with violence? Sure, you can catch some Alien Vs. Predator action if that’s what you’re into. A lot of people aren’t, though.
The upcoming installment, Alien: Romulus is not a sequel or a prequel, but sits smack-dab in the middle of the ever-growing Alien origin story. Romulus takes place between Alien and Aliens and follows a group of young space explorers who stumble upon the wreckage of a space station that has become a breeding ground for those infamous aliens. In theory, you only really need to see Alien before heading to the theater for Alien: Romulus, but if you want to immerse yourself in the lore of it all, you might need to do research beforehand.
Here is the chronological order (from earliest to latest) of Alien franchise, including the Predator flicks, but not including the upcoming series. Note that it is different from release order, since this franchise has been all over the place for over 40 years and always expanding.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
This is up to you: many Alien fans like to ignore the existence of the Predator, mostly because it can get a little murky with the Alien origin story, but if you like monster battles, this one is for you! The 2004 matchup takes two iconic monsters: the Xenomorphs and the Predator and pit them against each other while a group of human researchers get caught in the crossfire and have to keep their destruction contained. The film stars Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, and Lance Henriksen. You can stream Alien vs. Predator on Hulu.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Picking up immediately after AVP, the aliens and the predators are in full takeover mode as they crash-land in a small American town that is absolutely not prepared for an all-out alien war. Despite being an R-rated action flick, it’s often overlooked by Aliens fans, but you can stream Alien vs. Predator: Requiem on Hulu if you want to see what the lil’ Xenos are like when faced with small-town American life. The movie stars Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, and John Ortiz
Prometheus (2012)
This is where the real lore begins! Prometheus takes place in the late 21st century, after the events of AVP, but before we meet our girl Ripley. Director Ridley Scott wanted to return to the series to expand on the mythology of the Aliens, so while Prometheus might not be a standard prequel, it does take place in the same universe and ties together many of the concepts from the franchise (by also wiping out any Predator references). The story follows a group of space explorers who are on the hunt to find the origins of humanity, though they stumble upon a very different type of species. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Charlize Theron. You can stream Prometheus on Hulu and Disney+.
Alien: Covenant (2017)
The next installment in the Alien universe brings us to Covenant, which takes place a decade after Prometheus. The film brings back Michael Fassbender as a new android Walter who brings a group of new researchers to colonize a new planet. It sounds too good to be true, because they are not alone on that planet! Soon the group is faced with alien encounters. You’d think they would know better by now, but they don’t! You can stream Alien: Covenant on Hulu and Disney+.
Alien (1979)
This is where is all began. After you’ve been brought up to speed on the Alien origins, the first film in the franchise is a classic horror that needs little to know introduction. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, and Tom Skerritt as the crew of the Nostromo who are awoken out of stasis to investigate a distress signal. The first installment introduces the scary chestbursters we have all come to know and fear. You can stream Alien on Hulu and Disney+.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
The latest movie in the franchise takes place some time after Alien, but before Aliens. Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced star as the young crew who board a defunct space station only to discover that they are not alone on there. While we know the prequel takes place during Ripley’s lifetime, we don’t know if there will be any more references to the original series, but one can hope. The movie hits theaters on August 16th.
Aliens (1986)
The sequel to Alien brings Ripley back as she is determined to kill that Xenomorph queen once and for all. Often considered to be the favorite sequel thanks to James Cameron, Aliens expands on the universe by adding in even more creepy aliens and adds in an innocent child, so you can’t help but root for them. Aliens is now streaming on Max.
Alien 3 (1992)
Once again, Ripley has survived another round against the Xenomorphs, but how much more can she take?! The third flick brings back Sigourney Weaver as she lands on yet another deserted planet and must fight to survive. Alien 3 is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Ripley is back! Though this time, it’s 200 years later and she’s been cloned. It happens. In Alien: Resurrection, the government gets involved and tried to breed the Xenomoprhs in order to study them, but before they can do that, the aliens all escape and roam the space station. You would think that they would have learned by now, but they haven’t. At least this time, Winona Ryder is involved. You can watch Alien: Resurrection on Hulu and Disney+.