Fargo creator Noah Hawley is making an Alien TV series for “FX on Hulu”, and it actually started filming in Bangkok, Thailand earlier this year – but then production had to be paused to wait out the Screen Actors Guild strike. That strike is now over, and as Alien gears up to go back into production in the new year, we’ve been hearing new bits of casting news. Earlier this week, we heard that Timothy Olyphant (Justified) and David Rysdahl, who worked with Hawley on Fargo season 5, are in the cast. Now Variety reports that the main cast is rounded out by six more names: Babou Ceesay (Guerrilla), Jonathan Ajayi (Wonder Woman 1984), Erana James (The Wilds), Lily Newmark (Sex Education), Diêm Camille (Washington Black), and Adrian Edmondson (The Young Ones).
These new additions join previously announced cast members Sydney Chandler (Pistol) as the meta-human Wendy, who has the body of an adult, but the brain and consciousness of a child; Essie Davis (The Babadook) as Dame Silvia, Alex Lawther (The End of the F*cking World) as a soldier named CJ, Samuel Blenkin (Black Mirror) as a CEO named Boy Kavalier, Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger) as a character named Slightly, Kit Young (Shadow and Bone) as a character called Tootles, and the aforementioned Olyphant. Olyphant is said to be playing Kirsh, a synth who acts as a mentor and trainer for Wendy.
Details on the character Rysdahl is playing haven’t been revealed, and the same can be said for the roles filled by Ceesay, Ajayi, James, Newmark, Camille, and Edmondson.
The Alien TV series is believed to have an eight episode first season. The show is aiming for a 2025 premiere – so before it starts airing, we’ll see the theatrical release of the new Alien movie (possibly called Alien: Romulus) that has been directed by Fede Alvarez and is set between the events of the original Alien and Aliens. That movie is on track for an August 16, 2024 theatrical release.
Alien (plus Prometheus and Alien: Covenant) director Ridley Scott is producing the Alien TV series through his Scott Free banner.
Are you interested in the Alien TV series? What do you think of the cast that has been assembled for the show? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Here’s a list of everything we know about the Alien TV series so far, aside from the latest casting news.