The mastermind behind the beloved series 'Fargo' reveals that he is currently immersed in the post-production stages of the eagerly awaited prequel to the legendary 'Alien' film franchise. Noah Hawley, the creator of FX's long-anticipated 'Alien' series, has proudly announced that principal filming has been completed.
"We have wrapped up filming—just wrapped it up," Hawley exclaimed to The Hollywood Reporter on the same day his other FX hit, 'Fargo', garnered a whopping 15 Emmy nominations. "I'm now deep in the editing process, and there's a significant visual effects component that demands time. But I'm thrilled with what we've captured on screen."
"If fans were longing for a television series that delves into the world of 'Alien,' I believe I've crafted something truly special," he added.
The series, titled 'Alien: Earth', faced a brief halt in production in Thailand due to the 2023 actors' strike (fortunately, all scripts were completed before the writers' strike in May). Filming resumed after the management reached new contracts with the unions, and the series is expected to premiere next year.
Almost five years after FX chief John Landgraf announced the 'Alien' project in December 2020, 'Alien: Earth' will finally take viewers to a near-future Earth, set before the events of Ridley Scott's iconic 1979 space-horror masterpiece (Scott serves as an executive producer through his Scott Free company).
In a January interview, Hawley teased that the show would explore similar themes as the original film, such as humanity's struggle between its "primordial parasitic past and AI future, both threatening to destroy us." However, he assured that the narrative won't be tethered to Scott's two 'Alien' prequel films, 'Prometheus' (2012) and 'Alien: Covenant' (2017).
The star-studded cast of 'Alien: Earth' includes Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, David Rysdahl, Babou Ceesay, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diêm Camille, and Adrian Edmondson.
Reflecting on the journey, Hawley admitted, "It's insane to think that it took three to five years to bring the first season of 'Alien' to life. But I aimed to transform one of cinema's greatest horror and action franchises into a story that takes its time to flesh out characters, themes, and goes beyond just a horror tale of escaping death. I'm immensely pleased with the outcome, the actors' performances, and the craftsmanship of our entire team. I'm eagerly anticipating the audience's reaction."
