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When does Alien: Earth drop? Everything we know about the new sci-fi series

It’s the franchise’s first TV series

Lois Borny
Friday 06 June 2025 14:34 BST
The first two episodes land on 13 August
The first two episodes land on 13 August (Disney+/The Independent )

Something gross is coming to our screens. Landing on 13 August, the first two episodes of the upcoming sci-fi horror series Alien:Earth will be available to stream on Disney+. A prequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien, there will be eight episodes landing in total, with the first two premiering on the release date, and new episodes dropping every Wednesday.

The first TV series of the Alien franchise, Alien:Earth is set in the year 2120. Wendy, played by Don’t Worry Darling’s Sydney Chandler, breaks new ground as the first humanoid robot with human consciousness. But when an extraterrestrial vessel crashes into Earth, Wendy and a team of soldiers go looking for signs of life and find something terrible within. No prizes for guessing what that is.

While we have a couple of months before the series lands, the official trailer teases some of the plot points. The most chilling quote in the trailer is that “The ship collected five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe.” It’s terrifying to think, but it seems the team will have to tackle more than just the xenomorph we know from the Alien franchise.

On the creative and production team is Noah Hawley (the screen writer behind major series including Fargo and Legion), Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Joseph Iberti, Dana Gonzales and Clayton Krueger, while cast members include Alex Lawther from The End of the F***ing World and Black Mirror, Kit Young from The Beautiful Game, Timothy Olyphant from Fargo and The Mandalorian), The Babadook’s Essie Davis, and Adarsh Gourav from White Tigers.

Where can I watch Alien: Earth in the UK?

While the series will premiere on August 12 on FX and Hulu in the US, it will launch in the UK and Ireland on 13 August on Disney+. When it premieres, we’ll get two episodes, then episodes will drop every Wednesday.

How to sign up for Disney+

Disney+ is a paid subscription and costs £4.99 per month. Unlike Amazon and some other streaming services, there isn’t a free trial, which means you need to commit to one month of the service, but it’s worth keeping in mind that you can cancel your subscription at any time. That said, you might not want to. Disney+ is home to some of the most talked-about shows at the moment, such as The Bear and Star Wars series, Andor. There’s also a host of family favourites, such as The Simpsons and animated Disney films from Frozen to Encanto.

Looking for a great way to watch? Check out our tests of the best streaming devices

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