Watch Alien in release order: Alien (1979), Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, then the prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, then Alien: Romulus (2024), which is set between Alien and Aliens. The Alien vs. Predator films are crossovers you can skip.
- Titles
- 10
- Films
- 9
- Series
- 1
- Watch time
- 25 hours
- Box office
- $1.91 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 6.8
Alien movies in release order
Here is every Alien title in the order it came out, 1979 to 2025: 9 films and 1 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alien | 1979 | Film | 1h 57m | 8.4 |
| 2 | Aliens | 1986 | Film | 2h 17m | 8.4 |
| 3 | Alien 3 | 1992 | Film | 1h 54m | 6.7 |
| 4 | Alien Resurrection | 1997 | Film | 1h 49m | 6.2 |
| 5 | Alien vs. Predator optional | 2004 | Film | 1h 41m | 5.7 |
| 6 | Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem optional | 2007 | Film | 1h 34m | 4.6 |
| 7 | Prometheus | 2012 | Film | 2h 4m | 7 |
| 8 | Alien: Covenant | 2017 | Film | 2h 2m | 6.4 |
| 9 | Alien: Romulus | 2024 | Film | 1h 59m | 7.1 |
| 10 | Alien: Earth | 2025 | Series | 7h 34m | 7.1 |
Alien timeline: movies in chronological order
The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.
| # | Title | Set in | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prometheus | 2093 | 2012 |
| 2 | Alien: Covenant | 2104 | 2017 |
| 3 | Alien: Earth | 2120 | 2025 |
| 4 | Alien | 2122 | 1979 |
| 5 | Alien: Romulus | 2142 | 2024 |
| 6 | Aliens | 2179 | 1986 |
| 7 | Alien 3 | 2179 | 1992 |
| 8 | Alien Resurrection | 2381 | 1997 |
| 9 | Alien vs. Predator | 2004 | 2004 |
| 10 | Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem | 2004 | 2007 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
Release order and story order disagree on 10 titles here. In release order you start with Alien (1979); in story order you start with Prometheus, set in 2093, which came out 33 years later.
First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Alien into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.
Alien also runs a separate continuity: Alien vs. Predator. It has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch it on its own without breaking the main story.
Where to start
Start with Alien and go in release order, skipping the 2 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 8 titles and about 22 hours, 13% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: Alien (8.4), Aliens (8.4), and Alien: Romulus (7.1).
Every Alien movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1979 · Film · 1h 57m · 4th in story order
Alien
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
Why it matters: The 1979 original; the place to start.
- Starring
- Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, and Veronica Cartwright
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Box office
- $105 million on a $11 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
No. 02 · 1986 · Film · 2h 17m · 6th in story order
Aliens
Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
Why it matters: James Cameron's action sequel, 57 years later.
- Starring
- Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, and Michael Biehn
- Director
- James Cameron
- Box office
- $183 million on a $19 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 93%
No. 03 · 1992 · Film · 1h 54m · 7th in story order
Alien 3
After escaping with Newt and Hicks from the alien planet, Ripley crash lands on Fiorina 161, a prison planet and host to a correctional facility. Unfortunately, although Newt and Hicks do not survive the crash, a more unwelcome visitor does. The prison does not allow weapons of any kind, and with aid being a long time away, the prisoners must simply survive in any way they can.
Why it matters: Ripley on a prison planet.
- Starring
- Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, and Charles Dance
- Director
- David Fincher
- Box office
- $160 million on a $50 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 43%
No. 04 · 1997 · Film · 1h 49m · 8th in story order
Alien Resurrection
Two hundred years after Lt. Ripley died, a group of scientists clone her, hoping to breed the ultimate weapon. But the new Ripley is full of surprises … as are the new aliens. Ripley must team with a band of smugglers to keep the creatures from reaching Earth.
Why it matters: Ripley cloned 200 years later.
- Starring
- Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, and Dominique Pinon
- Director
- Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Box office
- $162 million on a $70 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 55%
No. 05 · 2004 · Film · 1h 41m · 9th in story order · optional
Alien vs. Predator
When scientists discover something near Antarctica that appears to be a buried Pyramid, they send a research team out to investigate. Little do they know that they are about to step into a hunting ground where Aliens are grown as sport for the Predator race.
Why it matters: The Alien vs. Predator crossover; optional.
- Starring
- Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, and Ian Whyte
- Director
- Paul W. S. Anderson
- Box office
- $177 million on a $70 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 21%
No. 06 · 2007 · Film · 1h 34m · 10th in story order · optional
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
After a horrifying PredAlien crash-lands near a small Colorado town, killing everyone it encounters and producing countless Alien offspring, a lone Predator arrives to "clean up" the infestation.
Why it matters: The crossover sequel; optional.
- Starring
- David Paetkau, Sam Trammell, and Steven Pasquale
- Director
- Colin Strause and Greg Strause
- Box office
- $130 million on a $40 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 4.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 12%
No. 07 · 2012 · Film · 2h 4m · 1st in story order
Prometheus
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Why it matters: A prequel about the Engineers, set 30 years before Alien.
- Starring
- Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, and Charlize Theron
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Box office
- $403 million on a $130 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 73%
No. 08 · 2017 · Film · 2h 2m · 2nd in story order
Alien: Covenant
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise but is actually a dark, dangerous world.
Why it matters: Bridges Prometheus to Alien.
- Starring
- Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, and Billy Crudup
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Box office
- $241 million on a $97 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 65%
No. 09 · 2024 · Film · 1h 59m · 5th in story order
Alien: Romulus
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Why it matters: Set between Alien and Aliens; works on its own.
- Starring
- Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Archie Renaux
- Director
- Fede Álvarez
- Box office
- $351 million on a $80 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 80%
No. 10 · 2025 · Series · 7h 34m · 3rd in story order
Alien: Earth
When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, Wendy and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat.
Why it matters: The xenomorph reaches Earth, two years before Alien.
- Starring
- Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, and Essie Davis
- Creator
- Noah Hawley
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%
- Episodes
- 8
Alien box office and budgets
The 9 Alien films with reported numbers have grossed $1.91 billion worldwide on about $567 million in combined budgets, roughly 3.4 times what they cost. The biggest is Prometheus at $403 million, 21% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Alien: Romulus ($351 million) and Alien: Covenant ($241 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Aliens, which made 9.9 times its $19 million budget. The weakest was Alien Resurrection at 2.3 times its $70 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Alien movies
Across 10 rated titles, Alien averages 6.8 on IMDb. The top of the list is Alien at 8.4, then Aliens (8.4) and Alien: Romulus (7.1). At the bottom: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (4.6) and Alien vs. Predator (5.7). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Prometheus, is only the 5th best rated.
- Alien8.4 · RT 93%
- Aliens8.4 · RT 93%
- Alien: Romulus7.1 · RT 80%
- Alien: Earth7.1 · RT 94%
- Prometheus7 · RT 73%
- Alien 36.7 · RT 43%
- Alien: Covenant6.4 · RT 65%
- Alien Resurrection6.2 · RT 55%
- Alien vs. Predator5.7 · RT 21%
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem4.6 · RT 12%
Who appears in the most Alien movies
Sigourney Weaver leads with 4 appearances as Ripley, ahead of Lance Henriksen (3) and Ian Whyte (2). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sigourney Weaver | Ripley | 4 | Alien (1979) to Alien Resurrection (1997) |
| Lance Henriksen | Bishop / Bishop II | 3 | Aliens (1986) to Alien vs. Predator (2004) |
| Ian Whyte | Scar / Predator | 2 | Alien vs. Predator (2004) to Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) |
| Michael Fassbender | David / Walter | 2 | Prometheus (2012) to Alien: Covenant (2017) |
Alien directors and creators
9 filmmakers have directed or created Alien; Ridley Scott has the most, with 3.
- Ridley ScottAlien (1979), Prometheus (2012), and Alien: Covenant (2017)
- James CameronAliens (1986)
- David FincherAlien 3 (1992)
- Jean-Pierre JeunetAlien Resurrection (1997)
- Paul W. S. AndersonAlien vs. Predator (2004)
- Colin StrauseAliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Greg StrauseAliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Fede ÁlvarezAlien: Romulus (2024)
- Noah HawleyAlien: Earth (2025)
How long it takes to watch every Alien movie
All 10 titles add up to 25 hours: 17 hours of film and 8 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 13 two-hour evenings, or 3 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 22 hours. The longest film is Aliens at 2h 17m.
The 4 best rated films: Alien, Aliens, Alien: Romulus, and Prometheus.
Everything takes about 4 weeks; the essentials about 4 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Alien movies can you skip?
2 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 3 hours.
- Alien vs. Predator2004 · Film · 1h 41m · optionalThe Alien vs. Predator crossover; optional.
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem2007 · Film · 1h 34m · optionalThe crossover sequel; optional.
Upcoming Alien movies
- Untitled Alien: Romulus SequelDate to be announced
Common questions
What order should I watch the Alien movies in?
Watch Alien in release order: Alien (1979), Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, then the prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, then Alien: Romulus (2024), which is set between Alien and Aliens. The Alien vs. Predator films are crossovers you can skip.
How many Alien movies and shows are there?
There are 10 titles in the Alien franchise: 9 films and 1 series, released from 1979 to 2025. 1 more is announced: Untitled Alien: Romulus Sequel.
How long does it take to watch all the Alien movies?
About 25 hours for all 10 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (8 titles) take about 22 hours.
What is the first Alien title in chronological order?
Prometheus, set in 2093. In release order the first is Alien (1979).
Which Alien titles can I skip?
Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the next Alien release?
Untitled Alien: Romulus Sequel, date to be announced.
What is the best Alien movie?
By IMDb score, Alien (1979) at 8.4, followed by Aliens at 8.4.
What is the highest-grossing Alien movie?
Prometheus (2012), with $403 million worldwide. Alien films have made $1.91 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Alien movies?
Sigourney Weaver, in 4 of them as Ripley.
What is the longest Alien movie?
Aliens, at 2h 17m.
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