How to watch all the Alien movies in order: Chronological watch guide

The Alien movies have been a fan-favorite for science fiction and horror fans since the inception of the franchise in 1979. With the newest Alien: Romulus releasing in cinemas on August 16, 2024, fans are sure to revisit some previously released installments too.

The franchise can be viewed chronologically in two ways: by release date or per the in-universe timeline. For first-time viewers, a release date order might be the one to go with. Ardent fans can choose to go by release date or timeline as per their preferences.

This article is a watch guide for the Alien movies in chronological order as per the release date. The in-universe order of the films has also been listed in the latter portion of the article.

---

Alien movies as per release date chronology

1) Alien (1979)

Directed by Ridley Scott, this film is the first in the Alien franchise. It revolves around the crew on the Nostromo spacecraft and what happens after they receive a mysterious distress transmission. After exploring, they fall into a world of terror when they come across a deadly life form of unknown origin.

---

2) Aliens (1986)

A still from Aliens, the second installment of the franchise (via @alienanthology / Instagram)

The film takes place decades after the first movie, 57 years to be precise. Ellen Ripley has managed to survive the alien events in Nostromo. She goes to establish contact with an alien colony but encounters the vicious Alien Queen and her army on a terraforming planet known as LV-426.

---

3) Alien 3 (1992)

The main character Ellen Ripley in a still from Aliens 3 (via @alienanthology / Instagram)

The protagonist Ellen Ripley's space pod crash-lands on a space prison, Fiorina 161, after her terrifying ordeal on planet LV-426. However, an unwelcome visitor has tagged along with her. The third installment of the Alien movies explores how the deadly alien starts hunting down people in a prison as they have to be led into battle against it.

---

4) Alien Resurrection (1997)

Winona Ryder as Call from Alien: Resurrection (via @alienanthology / Instagram)

The film takes place two hundred years after Ellen Ripley's death. The medical team creates a human-hybrid clone of the character at USM Auriga. This clone helps a group of space pirates in fighting the aliens trying to invade the planet. In a shocking twist, the Queen Alien embryo growing inside Ripley creates chaos.

---

5) Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Sanaa Lathan in a still from Alien vs. Predator (via 20th Century Studios)

In an archaeological expedition to Antarctica, Charles Bishop follows a heat signature that he thinks will be an amazing discovery. In a horrifying turn of events, his team ends up discovering a nest of parasitic aliens. After this, another race of aliens called the Predators descend to fight this newly discovered nest. The humans get caught in a battle between the two factions.

---

6) Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

A still from the 2007 film Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (via 20th Century Studios)

This is the sixth film in the Alien movies franchise. It delves deeper into the premise of its predecessor and explores the Alien and Predator races. The two enemies descend on Earth in the middle of a fight, forcing a town in Colorado to run for their lives.

---

7) Prometheus (2012)

Michael Fassbender in a still from Prometheus (via 20th Century Studios)

A team of explorers go to the darkest parts of the universe to look for the origins of humankind, under the name of the Prometheus mission. The clues lead them to a distant moon that seems barren and abandoned. Unfortunately for the team, they are not alone in their journey.

---

8) Alien: Covenant (2017)

A still from the film Alien: Covenant (via @alienanthology / Instagram)

This is the eighth installment in the Alien movies, following up after the events of Prometheus. The colony ship Covenant comes across David, who is the sole survivor of the Prometheus expedition. They encounter an unknown realm which they initially think is an undiscovered paradise. However, the world soon turns on them as a hostile alien life form prepares for attack.

---

9) Alien: Romulus (2024)

Alien: Romulus is the most recent release among the Alien movies. Romulus is set roughly around 20 years after the first film, Alien, which takes place in the year 2122, and about 37 years before James Cameron's 1986 Aliens, set in the year 2179. It stars actors like Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, and Isabela Merced. Directed by filmmaker Fede Álvarez, the official summary of the film reads.

"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."

---

Alien movies as per in-universe chronological order

There is another way to watch the Alien movies for the fans who might prefer the flow of the storyline over the release date. Since the films are dotted with prequels and timeline jumps at points, some audience members might prefer to watch as per the in-universe chronology too. The order of films in this case has been listed below:

• Alien vs. Predator (2004)
• Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
• Prometheus (2012)
• Alien: Covenant (2017)
• Alien (1979)
• Alien: Romulus (2024)
• Aliens (1986)
• Alien 3 (1992)
• Alien Resurrection (1997)

---

The latest of the Alien movies as per release date is Alien: Romulus. Audiences can watch the film releasing in theaters on August 16, 2024.