Figuring out how to watch the Alien movies can be confusing. With prequels, sequels, and crossover films, the timeline might seem like a messy puzzle. This guide will help you navigate the Alien franchise in both the order the films were released and the order events happen within the story. The newest entry is the TV series Alien: Earth, which premiered in 2025.
The Two Main Ways to Watch
You can experience the Alien movies in two primary ways. The first is by release order, which is how audiences originally saw them. The second is by chronological order, which follows the story’s timeline from the earliest events to the latest.
Watching in Release Order
This is the order the movies came out in theaters. Many fans recommend this order for your first time watching.
- Alien (1979)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
- AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Alien: Earth (2025 TV series)
The first four films are known as the “Ripley Quadrilogy” and follow the story of Ellen Ripley. The two Alien vs. Predator films are crossovers with the Predator franchise. Prometheus and Covenant are prequels that explore the origins of the aliens. Alien: Romulus is a standalone story set between the first and second films, and Alien: Earth is the newest story, set just before the original 1979 movie.
Watching in Chronological Order
This order follows the story’s timeline from the earliest events to the farthest in the future. It’s a great way to rewatch the series.
- AVP: Alien vs. Predator (Set in 2004)
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (Set in 2004)
- Prometheus (Set in 2089-2093)
- Alien: Covenant (Set in 2104)
- Alien: Earth (TV series set in 2120)
- Alien (Set in 2122)
- Alien: Romulus (Set in 2142)
- Aliens (Set in 2179)
- Alien 3 (Set in 2179)
- Alien: Resurrection (Set in 2381)
It’s important to know that the two Alien vs. Predator movies are often considered separate from the main story. The prequel films Prometheus and Covenant suggest the aliens did not exist in 2004, which conflicts with the AVP stories.
Where to Stream the Alien Movies
Most of the Alien movies are available to stream on Hulu. This makes it easy to binge-watch the entire series without switching between different streaming services.
A Quick Look at Each Movie
- Alien (1979): The film that started it all. The crew of the spaceship Nostromo investigates a strange signal and encounters a deadly alien creature.
- Aliens (1986): Ellen Ripley returns to the planet where the alien was first found, this time with a team of space marines.
- Alien 3 (1992): Ripley crash-lands on a prison planet, only to discover an alien has followed her.
- Alien: Resurrection (1997): Set 200 years later, scientists clone Ripley to get the alien queen inside her.
- AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004): Humans find themselves in the middle of a battle between Predators and Aliens beneath the ice in Antarctica.
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007): The fight between the two alien species continues, this time in a small town on Earth.
- Prometheus (2012): A crew travels to deep space to find the origins of humanity, but discovers a terrifying secret.
- Alien: Covenant (2017): A colony ship is drawn to a mysterious planet and finds the synthetic android David, who has been experimenting with creating alien lifeforms.
- Alien: Romulus (2024): A group of young space colonists discovers a derelict space station and must fight for survival against the aliens.
- Alien: Earth (2025): This TV show follows the survivors of a spaceship that crash-lands on Earth, unleashing alien horrors. It is set just two years before the original Alien.
Canon and the Timeline
A big question among fans is what is considered official story, or “canon.” The two Alien vs. Predator movies are often seen as separate from the main Alien story. Director Ridley Scott’s prequels, Prometheus and Covenant, introduced new ideas about the aliens’ origins that didn’t include the events of the AVP films. However, the new TV series Alien: Earth seems to acknowledge a broader timeline.
The upcoming Predator: Badlands movie will feature the Weyland-Yutani corporation, which could mean more crossovers are planned.
Where to Start for Newcomers
If you are new to the franchise, watching in release order is often the best choice. You will experience the movies as they were intended to be seen, with surprises and story reveals happening in the order the filmmakers designed. Starting with the original 1979 Alien is highly recommended.
For fans rewatching the series, the chronological order can be a fun and interesting way to see how the entire story fits together.
Also Read: 9 Best Characters from ‘Alien: Earth’
