Alien Movies in Order: Chronological vs Release Order

The Alien franchise has expanded significantly since its debut in 1979, now encompassing nine movies and one television series. Fans often debate the best way to view the series, which spans thousands of years in its internal timeline while touching on modern eras in crossover entries. The franchise includes four mainline films, two prequels, two crossover films with the Predator franchise, and a standalone movie.

To navigate the complex lore, viewers generally choose between two viewing orders: release order and chronological order. The release order follows the history of the films as they hit theaters, starting with the original 1979 film and ending with the 2025 TV series Alien: Earth. The chronological order rearranges these to follow the narrative timeline of the universe, beginning with the origins of the Xenomorphs in the crossover films and moving through the prequels to the events of the original film and its sequels.

Watching the franchise by release date allows viewers to experience the evolution of the series' special effects, storytelling techniques, and directorial styles as they occurred. This order begins with Ridley Scott's 1979 masterpiece and moves through the sequels directed by James Cameron and others.

The complete list of films and series in the order they were released is as follows:

• 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)

This sequence highlights the franchise's shift from pure horror to action-heavy crossovers and back to philosophical sci-fi horror with the prequels. The most recent additions, Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth, bring the franchise into the current era of filmmaking and television.

For those wishing to follow the internal history of the Xenomorphs and the Weyland-Yutani corporation, the chronological order is the preferred method. This viewing order starts with the ancient origins of the species and the modern-day crossovers before transitioning into the future events of the main series.

The Origins and Crossovers

The timeline begins with AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004). Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, this film is set in the year 2004 and establishes that Predators, known as the Yautja, have been visiting Earth for thousands of years. The plot involves humans caught in a ritual where Predators hunt Xenomorphs as the ultimate prey.

Following immediately is Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). Set in modern times, this sequel picks up right where the previous film left off. It features a hybrid creature known as the "Predalien" loose in a Colorado town, necessitating the arrival of a veteran Predator to clean up the mess.

The Prequels

The timeline moves to the late 21st Century with Prometheus (2012). Directed by Ridley Scott, this film follows a crew funded by Peter Weyland. They travel to a distant moon following a star map found on Earth, seeking humanity's creators but instead discovering their bio-weapon, the Xenomorph. The cast includes Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, and Charlize Theron.

Eleven years later, the story continues in Alien: Covenant (2017). This film follows a colonization ship that diverts to a potential utopia after intercepting a distress signal. The crew discovers the wreckage of the Prometheus and encounters androids and Xenomorphs. The film brings the timeline closer to the events of the 1979 original.

Just two years before the events of the 1979 classic, the timeline includes the new TV series Alien: Earth (2025). Set in the year 2120, the series follows survivors of the spaceship Maginot who crash-land on Earth. There, they face the universe's strongest threats in a terrestrial setting.

The original film, Alien (1979), remains the centerpiece. It features the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo, including Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. They accidentally encounter Xenomorph eggs on a moon, leading to a fight for survival against the cosmic nightmare.

Set approximately 20 years after the original film is the standalone movie Alien: Romulus (2024). Directed by Fede Álvarez, it follows young space colonizers, including Cailee Spaeny, attempting to escape a life of labor on an isolated planet. They board an abandoned Weyland-Yutani vessel to use its cryo pods, only to find the reason for its abandonment.

The chronological order concludes with the direct sequels to the original film: Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997), which continue the saga of Ellen Ripley and the Xenomorph threat.