FX on Tuesday premiered “Alien: Earth,” the first television series in the 45-year-old Alien franchise. The eight-episode prequel debuted with its opening two instalments on FX and Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ in international markets, with new episodes to follow weekly. Created and directed by Noah Hawley, the drama is set in 2120—two years before Ridley Scott’s 1979 original—and shifts the action from deep space to a crash-stricken future Earth. Hawley told Reuters that relocating the xenomorph menace raises the larger question of “whether humanity itself deserves to survive.” The story follows a corporate rescue mission after a Weyland-Yutani research ship carrying alien specimens plummets into the megacity of New Siam, unleashing both classic xenomorphs and four newly designed creatures. Sydney Chandler leads the cast as Wendy, a human-AI hybrid who heads into the wreckage with fellow ‘Lost Boys’ under the watch of synthetic guardian Kirsh, played by Timothy Olyphant. Samuel Blenkin portrays trillionaire Prodigy Corp chief Boy Kavalier, while Alex Lawther, Babou Ceesay and David W. Zucker’s production team round out the principal ensemble. Early critical response has been strong: a fan-tracked Rotten Tomatoes score opened at 94%, and reviewers from outlets including IGN and The Verge praised the series’ blend of suspense and social commentary. FX backed the launch with an immersive marketing campaign featuring life-size xenomorph installations at theatres and pop-up events across the United States.