Watch order
Alien movie watch order
Fox / 20th Century’s theatrical Alien saga from Alien (1979) through Alien: Romulus (2024). Release lists every US premiere—so Ripley’s four arrive before the 2010s prequels. Story follows practical in-universe years: Prometheus → Covenant → Alien → Romulus → Aliens → Alien 3 → Resurrection. AVP crossovers stay optional FAQ notes. Horror sci-fi neighbors: Predator and Dead Space.
Release order
When each mainline Alien film opened in US theaters—from Alien (May 25, 1979) through Alien: Romulus (August 16, 2024). Best first path: watch in premiere order so Ripley’s Nostromo nightmare still invents the franchise before the prequel and interquel chapters.
- First watch → Release: Alien → Aliens → Alien 3 → Resurrection → Prometheus → Covenant → Romulus
- Ripley core only → Alien through Resurrection, then decide on prequels
- Prequels after Ripley → Prometheus then Covenant on Release
- AVP / games / Isolation → optional, not required between films
Story order tips
Practical chronology by in-fiction years: Prometheus (2093) → Covenant (2104) → Alien (2122) → Romulus (2142) → Aliens (2179) → Alien 3 (~2179) → Resurrection (2379). Same seven films; only the 2010s prequels and Romulus move relative to premiere order.
- 2093–2104 → Prometheus then Covenant (Engineers / David)
- 2122 → Alien (Nostromo / Ripley origin)
- 2142 → Romulus between Alien and Aliens
- 2179 → Aliens then Alien 3; 2379 → Resurrection
Story order
Practical chronology by in-fiction years: Prometheus (2093) → Covenant (2104) → Alien (2122) → Romulus (2142) → Aliens (2179) → Alien 3 (~2179) → Resurrection (2379). Same seven films; only the 2010s prequels and Romulus move relative to premiere order.
- 2093–2104 → Prometheus then Covenant (Engineers / David)
- 2122 → Alien (Nostromo / Ripley origin)
- 2142 → Romulus between Alien and Aliens
- 2179 → Aliens then Alien 3; 2379 → Resurrection
Timeline
When each season premiered in the US. Expand a row for dates and where it fits in your watch order.
Release order
Alien
TheatricalStreamingRipley sagaLive-actionRidley Scott’s 1979 haunted-house-in-space classic strands the Nostromo crew against H.R. Giger’s xenomorph—Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, slow-burn dread, and chestburster horror that invent the franchise’s industrial-sci-fi grammar every later film still answers. This tab dates the US theatrical bow, not the 2090s prequel years.
- Overview
- Blue-collar spaceship terror with practical creature craft and a survivor lead who becomes the saga’s spine. Correct first watch on Release so the creature’s rules still land as discovery.
- Related games
- Franchise opener in theaters. Story places the Engineer prequels before this 2122 Nostromo night. Horror neighbors: Dead Space and Resident Evil movies.
- Where it fits
- Start here on Release. On Story it sits third, after Prometheus and Covenant. Required before Aliens either way.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release May 25, 1979 (20th Century Fox).
Aliens
TheatricalStreamingRipley sagaLive-actionJames Cameron’s 1986 sequel flips haunted-house dread into Colonial Marine war—Hadley’s Hope, pulse rifles, Newt, and the Queen that redefine blockbuster action-horror. Set decades after the Nostromo; on Story, Romulus fills the gap between Alien and this film.
- Overview
- Squad-action escalation with maternal stakes and hive warfare. Still the series’ artistic peak for many viewers; theatrical is enough, longer cuts stay optional flavor.
- Related games
- Ripley returns after hypersleep. Story’s previous title is Romulus (2142), then this 2179 LV-426 war.
- Where it fits
- Second on Release; fifth on Story after Romulus. Watch after Alien on Release; Story inserts the 2142 interquel first.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release July 18, 1986 (20th Century Fox).
Alien 3
TheatricalStreamingRipley sagaLive-actionDavid Fincher’s 1992 prison-planet chapter strands Ripley on Fiorina 161—shaved heads, industrial gothic dread, and a single xenomorph threat that continues immediately after Aliens rather than soft-rebooting the saga.
- Overview
- Bleak tone shift and monastery-prison atmosphere after Cameron’s war film. Debated Assembly Cut vs theatrical; either version still sits here as the third Ripley chapter.
- Related games
- Direct aftermath of Aliens. Next Ripley film is Resurrection; prequels stay earlier on Story only.
- Where it fits
- Third on Release; sixth on Story right after Aliens. Required before Resurrection for Ripley’s film arc.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release May 22, 1992 (20th Century Fox).
Alien Resurrection
TheatricalStreamingRipley sagaLive-actionJean-Pierre Jeunet’s 1997 far-future chapter clones Ripley centuries later—Winona Ryder’s Call, black-comedy gore, and a hybrid threat that closes the original four-film Ripley ladder before the 2010s prequels reopen the myth.
- Overview
- Time-jump clone sequel with Jeunet’s visual eccentricity. Ends the 1979–1997 Ripley block on Release before Prometheus arrives as a chronological prequel.
- Related games
- Ripley-saga closer on Story. Release continues into Prometheus, Covenant, and Romulus afterward.
- Where it fits
- Fourth on Release; last on Story (2379). Watch after Alien 3; Story keeps it as the farthest Ripley year.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release November 26, 1997 (20th Century Fox).
Prometheus
TheatricalStreamingPrequelLive-actionRidley Scott’s 2012 return asks Engineer origins—Noomi Rapace’s Shaw, Michael Fassbender’s David, and a 2093 expedition that seeds the creature myth decades before the Nostromo. Released fifth; Story places it first.
- Overview
- Prequel mythology with android philosophy and temple-horror set pieces. Continuity springboard for Covenant; not required before enjoying 1979 Alien on a first Release watch.
- Related games
- Earliest mainline year on Story. Release still plays it after Ripley’s four; Story continues into Covenant.
- Where it fits
- Fifth on Release; first on Story (2093). Watch here in premiere order, or start Story with this title for calendar order.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release June 8, 2012 (20th Century Fox).
Alien: Covenant
TheatricalStreamingPrequelLive-actionScott’s 2017 bridge film follows the Covenant colony ship into David’s experiments—Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, and a clearer path toward classic xenomorph horror set in 2104, still before Ripley’s 2122 night.
- Overview
- Prequel-to-classic connector that leans harder into creature set pieces after Prometheus’s mystery. Closes the 2090s–2100s Engineer/David block before Alien.
- Related games
- After Prometheus, before Alien on Story. Release still lists it near the end before Romulus.
- Where it fits
- Sixth on Release; second on Story. Watch after Prometheus; Story’s next title is 1979 Alien, not Romulus yet.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release May 19, 2017 (20th Century Fox).
Alien: Romulus
TheatricalStreamingInterquelLive-actionFede Álvarez’s 2024 interquel—Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and a derelict-station nightmare—lands in 2142, about twenty years after Alien and decades before Aliens. On both tabs; Story slots it between those two Ripley films.
- Overview
- Standalone-feeling creature horror that still respects franchise chronology: Weyland-Yutani greed, facehugger craft, and a timeline gap many fans wanted filled between Nostromo and LV-426.
- Related games
- On both tracks. Story consensus placement is between Alien and Aliens (~2142). Sci-fi neighbor: Terminator.
- Where it fits
- Last on Release; fourth on Story (after Alien, before Aliens). Watch anytime after Alien for context; Story treats it as required chronology between 2122 and 2179.
- Premiere dates
- US theatrical release August 16, 2024 (20th Century Studios).
FAQ
Release vs story years, where Romulus sits between Alien and Aliens, Prometheus/Covenant as prequels, AVP optional, and related shelves.
Watch order
Alien (1979) → Aliens (1986) → Alien 3 (1992) → Resurrection (1997) → Prometheus (2012) → Covenant (2017) → Romulus (2024). That is the US theatrical path and this page’s recommended first watch. Use Story if you want in-universe years instead.
Release is premiere order (Alien first). Story follows years: Prometheus → Covenant → Alien → Romulus → Aliens → Alien 3 → Resurrection. First-time viewers should stay on Release so 1979 still invents the creature.
Years & sequels
Romulus (2024) is set around 2142—about 20 years after Alien (2122) and decades before Aliens (2179). It is last on Release by premiere date and between Alien and Aliens on Story. It does not replace Aliens.
Not for a first watch. They are set in 2093 and 2104, so Story puts them first. In theaters they arrived after Ripley’s four. Start with Alien on Release; use Story when you want calendar order on a rewatch.
What’s included
More timelines
Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.
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