The Only 'Aliens' Sequel James Cameron Likes Is Not Even a Film: "DNA From My Movie"

While Ridley Scott's original Alien was a tense space horror flick, James Cameron's 1986 sequel, Aliens, shifted the focus to large-scale action.

Since then, the franchise has had its ups and downs, spawning movies ranging from Fincher's work to Prometheus. Of all the projects that have followed, Cameron himself has a clear favorite – and it's not a movie.

James Cameron Has Nothing but Praise for Noah Hawley's 'Alien: Earth'

Alien: Earth is a 2025 series that, according to the director, reimagines the franchise's legacy in a creative way. In an interview with Dark Horizons, the creator of Aliens praised the franchise's debut series on Disney+:

“I think they took a lot of the DNA from my movie. A couple of things from some of the later movies, they've got a little bit of that crazy POV thing racing down the corridors from Fincher's film.

I think it's good. It's great creative recombinance in action, but with its own swerve, which is basically what I did. You gotta celebrate the new with the old.”

What Is 'Alien: Earth' About?

The action takes place in the year 2120. The plot begins when a research vessel belonging to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation crashes on the property of its rival, the powerful Prodigy Corporation.

Prodigy's owner, the cynical genius Boy Kavalier, sends a team to steal alien samples from the ship. For this mission, Kavalier uses a new weapon: "synthetics," formerly terminally ill children whose consciousnesses have been uploaded into robotic bodies.

However, among the ship's terrifying creatures is a xenomorph that eventually finds its way to Earth and threatens all of humanity.

Noah Hawley Shifts the Focus in 'Alien: Earth', Making the Familiar Franchise Look Fresh

To breathe new life into the established universe, showrunner Noah Hawley made several bold creative moves. First, he abandoned the claustrophobic aesthetic of spaceships and isolated stations by setting the action on the home planet.

This allowed him to explore how a society with social inequality, where the rich can try to save themselves while the poor are doomed, responds to a global alien threat.

Second, Hawley abandoned the character of Ellen Ripley, deeming her story complete. This shift in focus moved away from a singular heroine-savior and toward ordinary people who have fallen victim to corporate greed and their own fears.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Alien: Earth'?

• Alien: Earth has 94% from critics and 65% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 7.2/10.

Where to Watch 'Alien: Earth'?

Alien: Earth is available to stream on Hulu.