How to Watch the Alien Movies in Order

Figuring out how to watch the Alien movies in chronological order is a challenge in itself, but trying to fit the Predator movies (which share the same cinematic universe) into the timeline can also feel daunting. Fortunately, this is not impossible.

This guide looks at the three main viewing lists Alien fans will need, depending on their personal viewing order style and how comprehensive they want their movie marathon to be.

All Alien and Predator movies are also available to rent and purchase digitally on platforms including Amazon, Apple TV, Microsoft Store and Google Play Store. A physical 4K Blu-ray version is also available.

This list shows all movies featuring aliens in order of release. Watching the films in the order they were released is often a first choice for many fans, as each new entry in the series introduces new elements based on the mythology.

For example, the appearance of the Alien Queen in Aliens is an important moment in the series that might be spoiled if you watch one of the later films first.

While the Predator series shares the same universe as the Alien movies, and Predator 2 and Predator even have some Alien Easter eggs, they don't actually feature the terrifying alien creatures. However, the two Alien vs. Predator movies are more important to Alien fans because they both focused on the aliens and made significant additions to the lore.

Want to watch all the Alien movies in one go? This takes about 16 hours in total (not including the TV series), so be sure to pack food and drinks and take a break halfway through, possibly after the AVP .

This is the correct timeline sequence for the entire series, including the TV series and the two Alien vs. Predator movies.

Watching all the "Alien" and "AVP" movies in chronological order would take about 17 hours.

Feeling ambitious and want to experience the entire epic Alien and Predator cinematic universe in chronological order from the 1700s to the 2300s? This list covers every Predator movie, Alien movie, and Alien TV series, arranged in the correct order of occurrence in the timeline.

Prey 2, a sequel to the Predator movie, is in development, but it's unclear (as of April 2024) whether it will be a sequel or a prequel. Another Predator movie, Into the Badlands , will be released in 2025. Its place in the Alien/Predator timeline is also currently unknown. This list will be updated once the information is officially confirmed.

The year in which each film or series is set has been confirmed through on-screen timeline dates or statements from the filmmakers.

The 2010 film Predator is the only one with a particularly ambiguous time period, as it takes place entirely on an alien planet with a group of abducted humans, and no dates are shown. Most fans place its release date around 2010, but some fans place it between Predator and Predator 2 (because one of the characters is a reference to the first film rather than the second) events), while other fans have set it in 2024 based on references in Predator. Game "Predator: Hunting Grounds" .

Here's how to watch all the Alien and Predator movies in chronological order.

Watching every entry in the Predator and Alien timelines (excluding the Alien TV series and unreleased movies) will take an entire day, so trying to watch everything in one go is obviously not recommended. However, watching one or two each night may keep sci-fi month action-packed and is an effective way to prepare for upcoming movies.

"Prometheus" is the official entry in the " Alien " series, set before the original 1979 film and after the two "Alien vs. Predator" films. Alien: Covenant is a direct sequel to Prometheus . It's unclear if we'll get a direct sequel to Alien: Covenant , but we can expect references to it and Prometheus in future movies and TV series.

The Alien and Terminator franchises do not officially share the same cinematic universe. There are some direct connections in some Expanded Universe media, such as comic books and video games, but these are not considered canon as far as the movies and TV series are concerned.

That being said, James Cameron, who created the Terminator series and directed Alien, originally called the company Hyperdyne in his early scripts, but he eventually changed it to Cyber ​​before filming began. dyne.

The serial number of the robot Ash in "Alien", Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2, is similar to the code of the robot model in the " Terminator " movie (such as "Cyberdyne Systems Series 800").

Alien Vs. The Predator arcade game hints that Dutch, the character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Predator movie, is actually a robot created by Cyberdyne. The game is not canon as far as the movies are concerned, but there are rumors that this plot element will be included in Alien Vs. The movie "Predator" . However, it ended up not being used, so this connection isn't canon...yet.

It's unclear whether the Blade Runner and Alien series are related. Blade Runner director Ridley Scott did include some visual similarities in the technology used in Alien and Blade Runner , but this seems more like an Easter egg , or a way to reduce production costs without an official connection.

An extra on the 1999 20th anniversary DVD of Alien does mention the Tyrell Corporation from Blade Runner , but a DVD that was more likely made as fan service probably isn't meant to be considered a classic. Concrete evidence of cosmic connections.

One of the extras on the Prometheus Blu-ray, "The Peter Weyland Archives," also suggests the two series are related. The character's log states:

A mentor and long-gone competitor once told me that it was time to put away the childish stuff and let go of my “toys.” He encouraged me to work for him and together we would rule the world and become new gods. This is how he runs his company, like God on top of a pyramid looking down on the City of Angels.

Of course, he chose to copy the power of creation in an unoriginal way, simply copying God. Look how [he] turned out. It just exploded in front of the old man. I would always advise him to stick with simple robotics rather than his [those disgusting genes]. . ] betrayed the people outside the world, even though the idea of ​​him implanting false memories in them was, well... "interesting," I'd put it politely.

This "mentor and long-gone rival" is almost certainly Eldon Tyrell, the head of the eponymous company and the creator of Blade Runner's clones. In fact, the Tyrell Corporation building is a giant pyramid, and the "City of Angels" is a direct reference to the Los Angeles setting in the movie. In fact, some replicants do have false memories that make them convinced they are human.

Then again, we probably can't rely on the extra-movie material to make any decisions, but they're fun to consider.

The connection between the Alien and Blade Runner series may be confirmed in an Alien TV series, which will be the first of a future series set on Earth. If Earth (especially Los Angeles) doesn't look like it does in Blade Runner , it's a sign that the two series are indeed separate.