Chronological order of the 'Alien' film movies + 'in universe' time line watch list

Alien Movies In Order (Release & Chronological)

The Alien franchise kicked off in 1979 with Ridley Scott’s landmark film, Alien, quickly setting a new standard for science fiction horror. But as the series expanded—moving both forward and backward through its own timeline—the chronology became just as intriguing as the movies themselves.

This article is your guide to navigating the Alien series in two key ways: the order of release and the in-universe timeline. Because the films weren’t released sequentially, experiencing them by either method tells a different story.

From Ridley Scott’s dark vision of space terror to James Cameron’s action-packed sequel Aliens (1986), each film reshapes and expands the Alien mythos. Later entries like David Fincher’s bleak Alien 3 (1992) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s far-future Alien: Resurrection (1997) take the saga deep into grim new territory.

But the franchise didn’t just go forward—it also traveled back. Prequels Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017) jumped centuries earlier to explore humanity’s first disastrous contacts with the origins of the terrifying Xenomorph creatures.

Even crossover films like Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) weave the Alien universe into the Predator mythos, though these sit somewhat apart from the core narrative chronology.

By considering both the actual release dates and the in-universe timelines, this article captures how the Alien films have created a rich, evolving story—one that leaps through centuries, blending horror, corporate intrigue, and humanity’s persistent struggle against cosmic dread.

Film Name	Release Year	Film Blurb	Timeline Year
Alien	1979	A commercial spaceship encounters a deadly alien creature after investigating a distress call on a moon. The crew struggles to survive as it methodically hunts them.	2122
Aliens	1986	The sole survivor of the Nostromo, Ellen Ripley, joins a marine expedition to the colony on LV-426, where they face numerous hostile Aliens and struggle to escape.	2179
Alien 3	1992	Ripley crash-lands on a prison planet, Fiorina 161, discovering that an Alien has stowed away with her, leading to a deadly confrontation with the prison inmates.	2179
Alien: Resurrection	1997	Two centuries after her death, Ripley is cloned to extract the Alien queen inside her. Along with a crew of space pirates, she must again battle the creatures.	2379
Alien vs. Predator (AVP)	2004	In Antarctica, a team of archaeologists and other scientists find themselves caught up in a battle between the two legendary species.	2004 (Present)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem	2007	Following the events of AVP, a Predator ship crashes on Earth, unleashing Aliens in a small town. A lone Predator arrives to clean up the infestation.	2004
Prometheus	2012	A prequel to the original Alien, this film follows a crew searching for humanity’s origins on a distant moon, leading to a terrifying discovery about the Aliens.	2093
Alien: Covenant	2017	A sequel to Prometheus, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers a remote planet with a sole inhabitant, the synthetic David, and faces a new Alien threat.	2104
Alien: Romulus	2024	Shit gets wild on a space station called Romulus and Remus	2142

 

Watch the Alien Film Franchise as it Happens in the universe time line

In universe time line order of the Alien film franchise movies list: 

Here's the timeline Reddit fans often debate.

What is the Alien film's timeline? If you're watching chronologically in-universe, it begins earlier than you think.

If you want to watch the Alien films as they happen in the Alien universe, you're starting off with Ridley's films: Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

Film Name	In-Universe Date(s)
Prometheus	2089–2093
Alien: Covenant	2104
Alien	2122
Alien: Romulus	Between 2122–2179
Aliens	2179
Alien 3	2179
Alien: Resurrection	2379

Watching the Alien films chronologically, you're not just following a horror series—you're diving into an expansive mythology about humanity's first encounters and recurring battles with a primal cosmic horror. 

Starting with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, the saga maps our ill-fated curiosity about life's origins, then jumps forward to stories of ordinary people confronting extraordinary terror centuries later. Whether you prefer experiencing the films by the suspenseful reveals of their original release or as an epic, linear narrative through time, the Alien franchise remains uniquely gripping. 

Each viewing method enriches your understanding of the haunting Xenomorph legacy, underscoring why this enduring series still fascinates and terrifies us, decades after the Nostromo first touched down on LV-426.

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