The Alien franchise is set to continue on the small screen with an “FX on Hulu” TV series from Fargo creator Noah Hawley, a show that began filming in Thailand last year, then had to halt production after a month due to the actors strike. Filming resumed earlier this year… and it looks like it’s wrapping up this month (as scheduled), because Sydney Chandler – whose previous credits include Don’t Worry Darling and the mini-series Pistol, and who was announced to be the lead of the Alien TV series when she was cast back in May of 2023 – has taken to social media to reveal that her time in Thailand has come to an end.
Chandler wrote, “Farewell Bangkok. Benchakitti. Lumphini. Krabi. Pathum Wan. China Town. The Onsen. And good Ole Kinokuniya … Farewell 4am pickups. BKK Traffic. Walkie-Talkie static. Late night motorbikes. Manic laughter. And pure creative adrenaline … Farewell River Kwai. Monitor Lizards. The bluest of blue birds. The great herons. The red suns. The lightning strikes. The jungle treks. The alien encounters … and mango sticky rice. Thank you Thailand, and everyone here on this epic journey, for teaching me what I am truly made of. Onwards we go … Khob Khun Ka Xx“
Chandler’s Alien character is the meta-human Wendy, who has the body of an adult, but the brain and consciousness of a child. Her co-stars include 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 Timothy Olyphant (Justified) Kirsh, a synth who acts as a mentor and trainer for Wendy. Babou Ceesay (Guerrilla), Jonathan Ajayi (Wonder Woman 1984), Erana James (The Wilds), Lily Newmark (Sex Education), Diêm Camille (Washington Black), Adrian Edmondson (The Young Ones), Moe Bar-El (The Peripheral), and David Rysdahl (Fargo season 5) are in the cast as well, but no details have been revealed about their characters. Sandra Yi Sencindiver of Foundation will be playing “a senior member of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation” in multiple episodes, and her role could be expanded as the series continues.
One of the first things we heard about the Alien TV series – and one of the most surprising things about it – is that it will actually be set on Earth, a couple decades before the events of the first movie. FX chairman John Landgraf has said the show will take place “right near the end of this century.” According to Deadline, the setting puts it “a few years before Prometheus,” which Hawley has previously said he has chosen not to acknowledge. Hawley decided to set the show on Earth because “The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of ‘What happens if you can’t contain it?’ are more immediate.“ Variety noted that the Alien TV series will “explore the formation of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the race to create android life.”
The Alien TV series is believed to have an eight episode first season. It may be done filming, but there will be a lot of visual effects work to do in post-production, so the show is aiming for a 2025 premiere.
Are you looking forward to the Alien TV series, and are you glad to hear that filming is wrapping up? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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