The series «Alien: Earth» from FX, which will bring xenomorphs to our world for the first time in the history of the sci-fi franchise, is set to become the next TV sensation — like «Game of Thrones» or «The Last of Us», according to its creators.
In other words, the series is meant to be an engaging drama that will attract and retain viewers with a network of interconnected characters and stories centered around a core cast.
«First season — is a proof of concept for», — says showrunner Noah Hawley. «And if it works out commercially, the second season — is to create a model on the basis of which we can imagine creating seasons 3, 4, 5… “Alien: Earth is conceived as a recurring series. I don’t know how many seasons there will be. I think it’s the endings that give the story meaning, so I have an idea of where I’m going».
Hawley calls the «Alien» franchise one of the «three main branches of science fiction» along with «Star Trek» and «Star Wars», but notes the lack of direct connection between many of the stories told in the seven films and two crossovers with the Predator, not to mention the countless comics, games, and other media.
«There is surprisingly little mythology in the seven films. It was great not to have to build mythology into something that already exists, but to just start from scratch,» Hawley explains.
«”Alien: Earth — is truly a brave new world», adds FX Entertainment President Gina Bayliss, noting that the series abandons the story elements presented in Ridley Scott’s prequels and exists in parallel with the movie franchise. «Not everything has to go the way you expect from Marvel. Fans don’t expect that in this universe. There is no such pressure here».
FX obviously supports the creators’ ambitions, as it is ready to invest a lot of money in the project. According to Variety, the cost of «Alien: Earth» has already exceeded the budget of another FX hit — the hit historical drama «Shogun», which cost $250 million.
«Compared to the scale of the Shogun, — this is more than», — Beilian mysteriously concludes.
The events of the series «Alien: Earth» take place in 2120 (two years before the events of «Alien» Ridley Scott), where the plot centers on there is a synthetic with the consciousness of the child Wendy (Cindy Chandler), who, together with her team, goes to investigate a spaceship that has crash-landed on Earth. Obviously, there are surprises waiting for the researchers, and it’s not just the well-known xenomorph, but a total of 5 alien and very terrifying life forms.
At this point in the «Alien» timeline, Earth is ruled by five corporations: Weyland-Utani (the antagonist corporation of the «Alien» franchise), Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic, and Treshold. Cyborgs and synthetics coexist with humans, but Prodigy’s boss invents hybrids (humanoid robots with human consciousness), and it is Wendy who is the first prototype.
The child’s mind in an adult body is a powerful symbol, and Hawley was partly inspired by observing his own children – moments of both infantilization and unexpected maturity. However, this image also teeters on the edge due to ambiguous ethical issues (in a scene from the pilot episode, Wendy takes her new breasts in her hands and says: “It’s weird!”).
«FX had, let’s say, reservations about the idea» — says Hawley, noting that the selection of actors and the subsequent work to make the characters look convincing is probably what he is most proud of».
In addition to Chandler, the cast includes Timothy Olyphant (Wendy Kirsch’s mentor and trainer), Alex Lowther (soldier C.J.), Essie Davis (Dame Sylvia), Samuel Blankin (Boy Cavalier), and others. The first two episodes of the series «Alien: Earth» will debut on August 12 on Hulu, FX and Disney+, with the remaining eight episodes to be released every Tuesday.
As a reminder, the Alien franchise, which started with the 1979 film «Alien» by Ridley Scott, has released a total of nine films (including crossovers). The last one, «Alien: Romulus» by Fede Alvarez, earned a box office that provided him with second place in the ranking of the series’ biggest earnings.
Source: Variety
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