Alien movies in order
A series that runs from 2093 to 2379, made in almost the opposite order, with two crossovers the franchise has quietly disowned.
Updated 4 August 2026 · 10 titles tracked
The Alien films are unusually scattered in time. The original four run from 2122 to 2379. The prequels go back to 2093. Romulus slots between the first two films, Alien: Earth sits two years before the original, and the two Alien vs. Predator crossovers take place in 2004.
Despite that, release order is the right first watch — because the 1979 original is the best film and the one everything else is in conversation with.
Every Alien title in release order
The original run, the prequels, the modern films, and the two Alien vs. Predator crossovers.
- 1Alien1979 · The Original Run · Essential
- 2Aliens1986 · The Original Run · Essential
- 3Alien 31992 · The Original Run
- 4Alien Resurrection1997 · The Original Run
- 5Prometheus2012 · The Prequels · Essential
- 6Alien: Covenant2017 · The Prequels · Essential
- 7Alien: Romulus2024 · The Modern Era · Essential
- 8Alien: Earth2025 · The Modern Era
- 9Alien vs. Predator2004 · Alien vs. Predator
- 10Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem2007 · Alien vs. Predator
The recommended first watch
Alien (1979), then Aliens (1986). Those two are the franchise, and they are two very different films — a haunted-house horror and a war movie — made by two directors at the top of their game.
From there, everything is optional. Alien 3 and Resurrection are for completists. Romulus is the strongest modern entry and slots naturally after the original. The prequels are worth it if you want the mythology, and actively unnecessary if you do not.
Should I watch Prometheus first?
Chronologically it comes first, and no, you should not.
Prometheus and Covenant explain where the creature came from — and much of the original film's power is that it does not explain anything. Watching the answer before the question makes the 1979 film smaller. Come to the prequels afterwards, treating them as a separate Ridley Scott project about creation, which is what they really are.
What about Alien vs. Predator?
Set in 2004, which technically makes them chronologically first in the whole series. They are also contradicted outright by Prometheus and Covenant, which give the creature a completely different origin, and the main films behave as though they never happened.
Skip them, or watch them last as a curiosity. Just do not start there.
Where does Alien: Earth fit?
The 2025 series is set in 2120, two years before the Nostromo answers its distress call — the first television series in the main continuity. It works either before or after the original film, though watching Alien first preserves the creature as an unknown.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Alien movies in?
Release order: Alien (1979), Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, then Prometheus and Covenant, then Romulus. Chronological order puts the prequels first, which undercuts the original.
Should I watch Prometheus before Alien?
No. Prometheus explains the creature's origin, and much of the 1979 film's power comes from explaining nothing. Watch it afterwards.
Where does Alien: Romulus fit in the timeline?
Between Alien (2122) and Aliens (2179) — it is set in 2142. It works well watched directly after the original.
Are the Alien vs. Predator movies canon?
Not effectively. They are set in 2004 and are contradicted by Prometheus and Covenant, and the main series ignores them entirely.