The release window of Disney’s upcoming Alien projects will break a franchise record, and it’s just what the series needs. When Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, it acquired many lucrative media assets, from The Simpsons to the film rights to iconic Marvel characters like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. It also acquired the Alien franchise, and has wasted no time in making use of it. The Mouse House is currently developing not one, but two Alien projects to cash in on its acquisition.
Don’t Breathe director Fede Álvarez is working on a standalone Alien movie, reportedly titled Alien: Romulus, which will bring the xenomorphs back to the big screen and return to the series’ horror roots. At the same time, Fargo creator Noah Hawley is working on an Alien TV series for FX on Hulu that will serve as a prequel to the films. The release window of these two Alien projects looks to be so close together that it’ll shatter the franchise’s previous record.
Alien’s Movie & TV Show Will Likely Have The Shortest Release Gap In The Franchise (By Far)
Disney’s two upcoming Alien projects will probably have the shortest release gap in the entire franchise. Alien: Romulus is set to be released in theaters on August 16, 2024. It was originally planned as a Hulu exclusive release, similar to Disney’s Predator prequel Prey, but it’s since been scheduled for a theatrical release. While the Alien TV show doesn’t have a confirmed air date as of yet, Hawley has announced that Alien will likely premiere in the first half of 2025.
This means that Alien fans could get two Alien projects within a year of each other (or, based on Hawley’s comments, within six months of each other). This would be the shortest release gap of the Alien franchise by far. The current shortest gap between Alien projects is the gap between Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which was five years. Even if the Alien vs. Predator movies count, that’s still three years. But now, Alien fans are getting a movie and a TV show in the space of a single year.
Disney’s Alien Plans Can Bring The Franchise Back In A Big Way
Disney might be struggling to keep fans interested in its Star Wars and Marvel franchises, but the concurrent release of an Alien movie and an Alien TV show could reinvigorate the Alien franchise in a major way. After a long break, this double whammy of Alien stories can bring the franchise roaring back and give it a real sense of momentum and excitement that it’s never really had. They obviously need to avoid overdoing it, but it’s a good time to be an Alien fan.
