Alien Movies in Order for Release and Timeline Viewing

Alien Movies in Order: Release and Chronological Watch Lists

Key takeaways

• For a first watch, see the seven main Alien movies in release order.
• Watching them in release order keeps those later additions in the context audiences first encountered them.
• In story order, it comes after Alien and before Aliens.
• Alien: Earth is a television series, not a movie, so it doesn’t belong in either film list.

Table of contents

• Alien Movies in Order: Release and Chronological Watch Lists
• Key takeaways
• Table of contents
• Alien movies in release order
• Why release order works best for newcomers
• Alien movies in chronological order
• Where does Alien: Romulus fit?
• What about Alien vs. Predator?
• Is Alien: Earth part of the movie order?
• Which order should you choose?

For a first watch, see the seven main Alien movies in release order. That preserves the series’ original progression and lets its prequels and timeline detours land as intended. If you’ve already seen them, the chronological list below rearranges the films by when their stories take place.

Alien movies in release order

This list covers the seven mainline films, from Ridley Scott’s original to Alien: Romulus.

1. Alien (1979) — The film that introduces the franchise’s claustrophobic blend of science fiction and horror.
2. Aliens (1986) — James Cameron’s sequel shifts toward action while continuing Ellen Ripley’s story.
3. Alien 3 (1992) — The next chapter in Ripley’s arc, directed by David Fincher.
4. Alien: Resurrection (1997) — A later continuation of the main series, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
5. Prometheus (2012) — A prequel exploring events and questions that precede the original film.
6. Alien: Covenant (2017) — Continues the prequel storyline begun in Prometheus.
7. Alien: Romulus (2024) — A standalone entry set between Alien and Aliens in the story timeline.

The mainline release sequence is also listed in franchise guides from Rotten Tomatoes and Wikipedia’s Alien franchise overview.

Why release order works best for newcomers

The films weren’t made in chronological story order. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant look back to earlier events, while Romulus fills a gap between the first two films. Watching them in release order keeps those later additions in the context audiences first encountered them.

It also gives you a straightforward path through the franchise’s main phases: the original and its sequels, then the prequels, followed by Romulus. You can watch the seven films this way without needing to settle questions about crossover continuity.

Alien movies in chronological order

For a story-timeline watch, use this order:

1. Prometheus — The earliest mainline film, with events beginning in 2089.
2. Alien: Covenant — Set in 2104, after Prometheus.
3. Alien — Set in 2122.
4. Alien: Romulus — Set in 2142, between Alien and Aliens.
5. Aliens — Set in 2179.
6. Alien 3 — Follows Aliens in the timeline.
7. Alien: Resurrection — Takes place much later, roughly 200 years after Alien 3, in the 24th century.

The timeline placements are summarized in guides from CableTV, Sky at Night Magazine and Rotten Tomatoes. Treat the exact chronology as a viewing guide rather than a guarantee that every date is stated onscreen or handled identically across every related title.

Where does Alien: Romulus fit?

In release order, Alien: Romulus comes last among the seven mainline movies because it was released in 2024. In story order, it comes after Alien and before Aliens. So if you’re watching by timeline, place it fourth—not after Alien: Covenant.

What about Alien vs. Predator?

The crossover movies are Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). They are optional extras rather than part of the seven-film mainline list above. In release order, they fall after Alien: Resurrection and before Prometheus.

Some chronological lists place the crossovers much earlier because their stories are set in 2004. But their relationship to the main Alien continuity is less straightforward, so it’s clearer to treat them as a separate crossover pair than to insert them into the core watch order. Both Rotten Tomatoes’ guide and Sky at Night Magazine discuss the crossover films separately from the central sequence.

Is Alien: Earth part of the movie order?

No. Alien: Earth is a television series, not a movie, so it doesn’t belong in either film list. Guides place its story before the events of Alien, but keep it separate if you’re looking specifically for the Alien movies.

Which order should you choose?

• First time watching? Choose release order, starting with Alien (1979).
• Rewatching for timeline continuity? Choose chronological order and begin with Prometheus.
• Want every related movie? Watch the seven mainline films first, then try the two Alien vs. Predator crossovers as separate extras.

For most viewers, the simplest route is release order. It gives you the franchise’s original sequence without requiring you to reconcile the crossover films or the separate TV series with the main movie timeline.