When a television series becomes overwhelmingly popular around the world, everyone wants a piece of that pie. Whether it's creating shows that are very similar or trying to appeal to the same audience with a different kind of show, every network and streamer tries their best to emulate the success of the most popular titles on the small screen. More often than not, it's Game of Thrones.
Since its debut on HBO in 2011, Game of Thrones has been one of the most influential and impactful shows on the air, so much so that many networks and streamers are still trying to find their version of its pop culture dominance. According to a new profile from Variety, FX hopes to have its own Game of Thrones with the release of Alien: Earth in August 2025.
In the profile of the series featuring interviews with creator Noah Hawley and stars Sydney Chandler and Timothy Olyphant, Variety revealed that FX wants Alien: Earth to be the next Game of Thrones or The Last of Us in terms of both success, obviously, and style. Like those series, the Alien prequel series is also a piece of IP that looks to connect with audiences and its built-in fandom in a new way.
Alien: Earth could be the next Game of Thrones
It's definitely an ambitious goal for the cable network, which will also release Alien: Earth on Hulu for streaming viewers. But it's a possible goal, too, since the FX on Hulu brand has been enjoying some pretty massive success in the wake of both Shōgun and The Bear scoring huge viewership numbers and raking in an impressive amount of Emmy Award wins.
But to become "the next Game of Thrones" will be in the hands of the fans, and Alien definitely has a lot of those. Olyphant admitted to Variety that having that fandom brought a lot of pressure to his decision to join the show: "It was exciting — it feels like a good fit, but it could be a total disaster. That’s a very exciting place to work from."
Hawley, who created the FX shows Fargo and Legion, has been working on this project for eight years, he revealed, as FX first approached him about bringing Alien to the small screen before Disney even took over control of 20th Century Television after the merger. Having spent many years working to bring the prequel series to life, Hawley's prepared for it to be a "recurring series," though he's not sure how many seasons that would be. Still, he's mulling over early plans for season 2.
The first season contains eight episodes and takes place two years before the original Alien film as a spaceship crashes on Earth and releases alien threats. Alien: Earth is said to "exist in parallel" to the movies, which opens the story up to include its own unique flair while also honoring the beloved sci-fi franchise. The show has big shoes to fill, especially if it's hoping to walk alongside Game of Thrones and its own prequel series House of the Dragon. Only time will tell!
Alien: Earth premieres Tuesday, Aug. 12 on FX and Hulu.
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