Movies Here's how to watch all the Alien movies in order All you chestbursting "Alien" goodness you need before "Alien: Romulus." By Rendy Jones Published on August 15, 2024 11:12AM EDT The Xenomorphs are back to cause more homicides in the cosmos. With the Aug. 16 release of Alien: Romulus, starring Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, fans may be [chest]bursting with excitement to revisit all the movies within the extensive Alien timeline. The Alien series began in 1979 with the Ridley Scott classic starring Sigourney Weaver as the best sci-fi final girl Ellen Ripley, and the franchise has chronicled how in space, no one can hear you scream. The films have also explored the sinister motives of megacorporation Weyland-Yutani, or "The Company," who send humans on dangerous missions in each entry. There are now seven films depicting the human vs. Xenomorph conflict: the original Alien and its sequels (Aliens, Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection), the prequels (Prometheus, Alien: Covenant), and 2024's Alien: Romulus. It's worth mentioning that the Predator crossover movies (Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem) are also not canonical to the Alien series. We might need a facehugger to distract us from thinking about the franchise too much. Since Romulus is set between Alien and Aliens, it might not seem like much homework to do before you see the new installment. Guess again! There are still three movies worth of Xenomorph murderous mayhem before we reach the Gen-Z led entry. Thankfully, all entries are readily available on Hulu to get you prepared. Here's how to watch every Alien movie in order on Hulu. Cailee Spaeny found out she got Alien: Romulus role via Instagram while filming Priscilla Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more. 01 of 07 Prometheus (2012) Michael Fassbender in 'Prometheus'. 20th Century Fox This Alien origin story takes place long before facehuggers hugged their first face. In 2093, a crew including archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), geologist Fifield (Sean Harris), and biologist Millburn (Rafe Spall) are tasked by Weyland founder Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) to embark on an intergalactic expedition on a ship called Prometheus. Steered by captain Janek (Idris Elba) and monitored by Weyland's no-nonsense employee Vickers (Charlize Theron) and right-hand synthetic butler (Michael Fassbender), they travel lightyears away in hopes of uncovering mankind's origins. But once they reach a barren, Icelandic-looking planet and find a bunch of creatures with the intent to kill, it's a race to save mankind before they're all destroyed. Stream Prometheus on Hulu. 02 of 07 Alien: Covenant (2017) 'Alien: Covenant'. 20th Century Fox In the direct sequel to Prometheus, Alien: Covenant follows the colony vessel, Covenant, traveling to a remote planet. However, the ship was thrust out of orbit, prompting the crew — Walter One (Michael Fassbender), Daniels (Katherine Waterston), Tennessee (Danny McBride), Maggie Faris (Amy Seimetz), Dan Lope (Demián Bichir), Ricks (Jussie Smollett), Upworth (Callie Hernandez), Christopher (Billy Crudup) and wife Karine (Carmen Ejogo) Oram — who had been in cryosleep, to regain its course. They find a distress call on the planet and land there. When they begin considering whether to colonize there, several new alien types emerge and attack them. The crew also encounters David (Fassbender), who has made the planet his experimental laboratory and stirs up trouble for everyone. Stream Alien: Covenant on Hulu. 03 of 07 Alien (1979) Sigourney Weaver, Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, and Ian Holm in 'Alien'. 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection Ridley Scott's original classic that always makes our chest burst...with love (and fear). The first Alien centers around explorers aboard the ship Nostromo as they were investigating a transmission heard on a moon. There, they discover an alien egg that spouts out a creature. It hugs executive officer Kane's (John Hurt) face, impregnating him. Back on the ship, a baby creature bursts through his chest, killing him. Soon, Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) learns that she and her crew were deceived by their own. So Ripley, her crew, and her cat Jones attempt to survive and kill the creature, which has evolved into a deadlier threat. Stream Alien on Hulu. 04 of 07 Alien: Romulus (2024) Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine in 'Alien: Romulus'. 20th Century Studios Years after the events of Alien, a ragtag group of young scavengers — Rain (Spaeny), Andy (Jonsson), Kay (Isabela Merced), Tyler (Archie Renaux), Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Navarro (Aileen Wu) — wishing for a better life, learn that there is an abandoned space station with cryo chambers, capable of holding them until they can reach a paradise planet. When they arrive at the station, they find out there was a reason why it was abandoned. Chased down by facehuggers and Xenomorphs, the scavengers must get the pods and escape the ship. Alien: Romulus releases in theaters Aug. 16. 05 of 07 Aliens (1986) Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) takes on a Xenomorph in 'Aliens'. 20th Century studios James Cameron's thrilling action sequel flips the script, for it's the humans taking the war to the Xenomorphs this time around. Fifty-seven years after the events of Alien, colonel marines discover Ripley's shuttle and awaken her from a state of hypersleep. They inform her that the moon her team investigated has been colonized. However, they have lost communication with the inhabitants. They recruit her for their mission, but when they get there, they find out that the Xenomorph species have taken over and a 9-year-old named Newt (Carrie Henn) is the only survivor. Though they might up against more aliens than ever before, the marines are equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry. While protecting Newt, Ripley locks and loads, and gives the Xenomorphs a taste of her vengeful power. Stream Aliens on Hulu. 06 of 07 Alien 3 (1992) Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in 'Alien 3'. Everett Collection Before becoming the famous director we know from Se7en, Zodiac, and The Social Network, David Fincher made his directorial debut with Alien 3. In this installment, when a facehugger is loose on the ship Sulaco, the computer is prompted to send out escape pods of the Aliens survivors in hypersleep into space. Ripley's pod crash lands on desolate planet Fiorina "Fury" 161 and is taken to a nearby maximum security prison. When she is woken, she is informed that she is the only survivor of the Sulaco. Meanwhile, the Dragon, a new Xenomorph form, breaks into the prison and kills inmates and guards. Even though she doesn't have any weapons on this occasion, it's up to Ripley to take charge and lead the men into the battle. Stream Alien 3 on Hulu. 07 of 07 Alien: Resurrection (1997) Winona Ryder as Annalee Call (L) and Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley (R) in 'Alien: Resurrection'. 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection Ripley is reborn in the most "she's giving mother" entry of the Alien series. After Ripley sacrifices herself to save mankind in Alien 3, scientists aboard a military medical vessel clone her with her and a queen Xenomorph's DNA. They obtain from her a queen Xenomorph embryo and conduct experiments on it. The clone, Ripley 8, possessing both human and alien traits, awakens 200 years after the events of Alien 3. A crew of space smugglers — Annalee Call (Winona Ryder), Ron Johner (Ron Perlman), Gary Christie (Gary Dourdan), Frank Elgyn (Michael Wincott), Sabra Hillard (Kim Flowers), and Dom Vriess (Dominique Pinon) — arrive at the ship to deliver human stasis bodies, but soon find out that they are making them hosts for alien breeds. Once several aliens break loose, the ship sets an emergency course back to earth. With hours on the clock, Ripley 8 and the smugglers must unite and stop the aliens and military workers. Stream Alien: Resurrection on Hulu. Alien: Romulus star teases his version of the new film's android: 'We’re definitely trying to make it our own'