Alien Movies in Order
From LV-223 to the Nostromo to Earth itself: nearly three centuries with the perfect organism.
Alien began in 1979 as a haunted-house story aboard a cargo ship and grew into seven films and a TV series: four Ellen Ripley films, two Ridley Scott prequels that reach back to where the creature came from, Alien: Romulus between the first two films, and Alien: Earth on the home planet.
Release order is the classic first watch, because the prequels answer questions the originals were happy to leave open. Chronological order starts with Prometheus in 2093 and ends with Alien Resurrection nearly three centuries later.
The quick answer
There are 7 Alien films. By story year they run Prometheus, Covenant, Alien, Romulus, Aliens, Alien 3 and Resurrection, with the Alien: Earth series set just before the original.
Chronological order
- Prometheus · The Prometheus reaches LV-223
- Alien: Covenant · A colony ship changes course
- Alien: Earth · Two years before the Nostromo
- Alien · The Nostromo answers a signal
- Alien: Romulus · 20 years after Alien
- Aliens · Ripley wakes 57 years later
- Alien 3 · Picks up right after Aliens
- Alien Resurrection · Two centuries after Alien 3
First time watching? Either order works. Release order shows the films the way audiences first met them, surprises intact; chronological order follows the story’s own timeline and suits a rewatch.
Seen them all? Rank the Alien movies in a tier list, starting from HorroRated’s own.
The complete timeline
Alien
A commercial towing crew investigates a signal on a dead moon and brings something back aboard that hunts them through the ship.
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Aliens
Ripley returns to LV-426 with a unit of Colonial Marines after the colony built there stops answering.
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Alien 3
Ripley's escape craft crashes on a remote prison planet, and an unwanted passenger turns its inmates into prey.
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Alien Resurrection
Military scientists bring Ripley back as a clone aboard a research ship, and their experiment breaks loose.
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Prometheus
Scientists follow a star map found in ancient cave art to a distant moon, hoping to meet the beings who made humanity.
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Alien: Covenant
A colony ship bound for a new home detours toward a mysterious transmission and lands on a world with a dark history.
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Alien: Romulus
Young colonists desperate to leave their mining world scavenge a derelict space station and wake what is waiting on board.
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Alien: Earth
A corporate research ship crash-lands in a rival company's city with deadly specimens aboard, and a team of synthetic bodies carrying children's minds is sent in.
Read entryAlien vs. Predator: the crossover detour
These two films are set on present-day Earth, long before the main timeline, and the later Alien films carry on as if they never happened. Watch them whenever you want Xenomorphs against Predators. They are not counted in the seven films above, but they are part of the main order in the Predator guide.
Alien vs. Predator
An expedition to a pyramid buried under Antarctic ice walks into a hunting ground built for Predators to test themselves against Xenomorphs.
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Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
A Predator ship crashes outside a small Colorado town, and a lone hunter arrives to clean up the outbreak that follows.
Read entryRomulus slots between Alien and Aliens
Alien: Romulus is set in 2142, 20 years after the Nostromo and decades before Ripley is found, so it fits between the first two films without changing either. Alien: Earth is set two years before the original. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant explore where the creature came from, but nothing in the four Ripley films depends on them. The two Alien vs. Predator films take place on present-day Earth outside this timeline, so they sit in an optional lane of their own.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alien
How many Alien movies are there?
There are seven main films: Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997), Prometheus (2012), Alien: Covenant (2017) and Alien: Romulus (2024). The franchise also includes the TV series Alien: Earth (2025) and two Alien vs. Predator crossover films from 2004 and 2007.
What order should I watch the Alien movies in?
For a first watch, release order: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, then Alien: Romulus. The prequels were made to deepen a mystery the originals set up, so they land better once you know it. For a rewatch, story order runs Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien, Alien: Romulus, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection.
Where does Alien: Romulus fit in the timeline?
Between Alien and Aliens. It is set in 2142, 20 years after the events of the original film and 37 years before Ripley is rescued at the start of Aliens. It follows a new group of characters, so it works as a stand-alone watch after the original.
Where does Alien: Earth fit in the timeline?
Alien: Earth is set in 2120, two years before the original Alien, and is the first story in the main timeline to bring the creatures to Earth. Season 1 premiered on FX and Hulu in August 2025. Season 2 is in production, with no premiere date announced yet.
Are the Alien vs. Predator movies canon?
Not to the main Alien films. Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) take place on present-day Earth, and the later Alien films carry on as if they never happened. They work best as an optional side trip, and they belong to the Predator franchise too.
Is there a new Alien movie coming?
A sequel to Alien: Romulus has been in development, with Fede Álvarez writing it but not returning to direct. As of October 2026, no director or release date has been announced. The next confirmed chapter is season 2 of Alien: Earth.