FX’s Alien series scripts are done, filming expected to begin in 2023
By Daniel Roman
Work is moving along on Noah Hawley’s Alien prequel series, currently in development at FX. Per The A.V. Club, FX boss John Landgraf touched on Hawley’s Alien series during the 2022 Television Critics Association summer press tour. After discussing how FX/Hulu’s merger with Disney has been an “unqualified success” and highlighting some of the network’s upcoming shows like Shōgun, Landgraf gave fans an update on the anticipated Alien series.
According to Landgraf, Hawley has turned in all the scripts for the Alien series. It is expected to enter into production next year. In the meantime, Hawley has plenty of other work. His other big series for FX, Fargo, is scheduled to go into production on its fifth season this fall. Given that Alien isn’t going to start shooting until at least early 2023, it seems likely that it could debut sometime late that year or in 2024.
Hawley’s take on the Alien universe is a bit of a departure for the series; it’s set on Earth in the late 21st Century, long before Ellen Ripley ever squared off against the xenomorph in space. Ridley Scott’s production company Scott Free is attached to produce the series.
Landgraf previously called Hawley’s adaptation a “brave reinvention” of the Alien franchise, teasing surprises in store for viewers. “Noah has the ability to find a way of showing fidelity to the original creation but then also to bring something new to the table that represents extension and reinvention of a franchise. He’s doing a masterful job with Alien like he did with Fargo.”
We’ll be waiting a while on this one, but if Hawley can give the long-running sci-fi horror franchise the same sort of treatment he gave Fargo, it may be worth it.
Critics are gushing over Hulu’s Predator prequel Prey
While the xenomorph may be on the backburner in 2022, its longtime pop culture nemesis the Predator is doing quite well for itself. 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg’s prequel movie Prey hit Hulu on August 5, and has been receiving pretty much unanimous praise. As of this writing, the film holds an impressive 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“With plenty of the Predator franchise’s signature brutal kills, a simple but never simplistic story, and a star-making turn from Amber Midthunder… Prey slays,” writes Tom Jorgensen for IGN.
Robert Kojder of Flickering Myth seems to agree: “#PreyMovie is a technical marvel, a uniquely refreshing take on the Predator formula, and Amber Midthunder is up to the challenge, immediately cementing herself as a must-see action heroine. This is how a reboot is done exceedingly right.”
Over at Rolling Stone, David Fear writes that “#PreyMovie drops the ‘Predator’ franchise into the middle of a survivalist thriller set among the Comanche in the 1700s — and it may well be the sci-fi/horror franchise’s masterpiece.”
Meanwhile, The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke has a hot take on the movie: “Saw #PreyMovie last night. SO FUCKING GOOD. Best #Predator since the original NO CONTEST. (I liked it better actually, but that’s a hot take.) Scary, great kills, @AmberMidthunder is a star. Congrats @DannyTRS for making Predator bad ass again.”
And on and on. In our own review at WiC we hold to the opinion that Prey was the best Predator movie in decades. More than that, it’s just an excellent movie. You can find our full spoiler-free thoughts here:
Next. Prey is the best Predator movie since the original. dark
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