Despite disruption from the ongoing strikes which have ground Hollywood studios to a halt, FX’s long-gestating Alien series has kicked off production in Thailand this past week – although for the time being the project is having to shoot around its SAG-AFTRA-affiliated cast members who remain unavailable due to the ongoing industrial action.
The Alien series has been created by Noah Hawley (Legion, Fargo), with Ridley Scott serving as executive producer, and while story details are a closely guarded secret, it is believed to take place on Earth and is set years prior to Ellen Ripley’s story beginning in Scott’s Alien movie.
As revealed by Deadline, the previously revealed Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling) will lead the cast of the series, and will be joined by Alex Lawther (The End of the F*cking World), Samuel Blenkin (Black Mirror), Essie Davis (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries) and Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger).
According to Deadline’s report, the series’ scripts were completed well in advance of the WGA strike, and while filming is taking place in Thailand most of the cast are under contracts with Equity, the UK equivalent of SAG-AFTRA, and so are cleared to work, while the schedule has been reworked to delay the involvement of any SAG-AFTRA members for as long as possible.
Separate from Hawley’s Alien series, 20th Century Studios has just wrapped production on Alien: Romulus, a “standalone” feature film from director Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe).
Originally published July 25, 2023. Updated July 26, 2023.
