How Do You Watch the Alien Movies in Order?

The Alien watch order

There are seven main Alien films, plus two Alien vs. Predator crossovers. Release dates, runtimes, directors, and ratings in this guide come from Wikidata ^[1].

Release order

1. Alien (1979)
2. Aliens (1986)
3. Alien 3 (1992)
4. Alien Resurrection (1997)
5. Prometheus (2012)
6. Alien: Covenant (2017)
7. Alien: Romulus (2024)

Universe (chronological) order

This is the order Disney+ lists for watching the saga by when the stories take place ^[2]:

1. Prometheus
2. Alien: Covenant
3. Alien
4. Alien: Romulus
5. Aliens
6. Alien 3
7. Alien Resurrection

The two big moves are the prequels, which jump to the front, and Romulus, which slots between the first two films. TheWrap describes Romulus as taking place 20 years after the events of the first Alien ^[3].

Should you watch Alien in release order or universe order?

For a first viewing, we recommend release order, starting with the 1979 Alien. The original film is built around the audience discovering the creature for the first time, and the prequels explain things that work best as mysteries on a first watch.

Universe order is a good choice for a rewatch, or for viewers who already know the original films and want to follow the larger story of where the creatures came from. In that order you start with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, the two prequels directed by Ridley Scott ^[1].

Where do the Alien vs. Predator movies fit?

Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) are crossovers with the Predator series. Disney+ leaves them out of its universe order ^[2]. TheWrap includes them and puts them first in its chronological list, ahead of Prometheus ^[3]. If you want everything in one list, TheWrap's full chronological order is:

1. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
2. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
3. Prometheus (2012)
4. Alien: Covenant (2017)
5. Alien (1979)
6. Alien: Romulus (2024)
7. Aliens (1986)
8. Alien 3 (1992)
9. Alien Resurrection (1997)

We treat them as optional side trips rather than part of the main story. If you want them, watch them after the main series, so you already know both creatures when they meet.

What is Alien: Romulus, and do you need the other films first?

Alien: Romulus (2024), directed by Fede Álvarez ^[1], is the most recent film in the series as of November 2026. It is set between Alien and Aliens, 20 years after the first film ^[3], and it follows a new group of characters.

You can watch it on its own, but it plays best after the 1979 original. If you only have time for two films, Alien followed by Romulus is a strong pairing.

Alien cast across the series

The original four films are built around one character, Ellen Ripley. According to Wikidata's cast records ^[1]:

• Sigourney Weaver appears in all four of the original films, from Alien (1979) to Alien Resurrection (1997), as Ripley.
• Lance Henriksen appears in Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien vs. Predator.
• Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, and Guy Pearce appear in both prequels, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.

That split is the clearest way to understand the series: four Ripley films, two prequels with their own cast, and Romulus, which introduces a new group of characters. The creature effects tie everything together; Wikidata also lists creature performers such as Tom Woodruff Jr. across several films.

How are the Alien movies different from each other?

Because the series has passed through several directors, the tone shifts from entry to entry, which is part of the series' appeal. These are premise-level notes, with no major spoilers:

• Alien (1979): a slow-building horror film about a cargo ship crew who answer a distress signal.
• Aliens (1986): a larger-scale action sequel in which Ripley returns with a team of soldiers.
• Alien 3 (1992): Ripley is the only woman on a prison planet, alongside a doctor, inmates, and a monster ^[2].
• Alien Resurrection (1997): the fourth film takes Ripley's story in a new, stranger direction.
• Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017): science-fiction prequels directed by Ridley Scott; Disney+ describes Prometheus as following explorers who believe they have found a clue to the origins of mankind ^[2].
• Alien: Romulus (2024): a return to close-quarters horror with a new, younger cast.

If you prefer suspense over action, the first film and Romulus are the closest in spirit. If you prefer action, Aliens is the one to start with after the original. For more films that mix space and dread, see our list of the best sci-fi movies.

Alien directors and runtimes

The series is unusual for how many notable directors it has used. Ridley Scott directed Alien, Prometheus, and Alien: Covenant; James Cameron directed Aliens; David Fincher directed Alien 3; and Jean-Pierre Jeunet directed Alien Resurrection ^[1].

Film	Year	Director	Runtime (min)	Rating
Alien	1979	Ridley Scott	117	R
Aliens	1986	James Cameron	137	R
Alien 3	1992	David Fincher	114	R
Alien Resurrection	1997	Jean-Pierre Jeunet	108	R
Alien vs. Predator	2004	Paul W. S. Anderson	100	Not listed in Wikidata
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem	2007	Greg Strause, Colin Strause	94	Not listed in Wikidata
Prometheus	2012	Ridley Scott	124	R
Alien: Covenant	2017	Ridley Scott	122	R
Alien: Romulus	2024	Fede Álvarez	119	R

The seven main films run 841 minutes in total, about 14 hours 1 minute. Adding the two crossovers brings the total to 1,035 minutes (about 17 hours 15 minutes).

For a two-day marathon, the table splits neatly: the four Ripley films run 476 minutes, and the two prequels plus Romulus run 365 minutes. All seven main films are rated R ^[1], so the series is not aimed at younger viewers.

Which Alien movies can you skip?

If you only want the core story, the four Ripley films are the backbone, and Romulus is the easiest newer film to add. In our view, these are the safest to skip:

• The Alien vs. Predator films. They are crossovers outside Disney+'s universe order ^[2], so the main series does not depend on them.
• Alien Resurrection. It is the last Ripley film and the most stand-alone of the four, so skipping it does not break the earlier story.

We would not skip Alien or Aliens; nearly every later film builds on them. If you watch the prequels, watch both, because Alien: Covenant follows Prometheus directly in Disney+'s universe order ^[2].

A focused five-film run of Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Romulus, and one prequel covers the essential story in about 10 hours.

That plan also keeps the series' two strongest moods together: the slow-building dread of the first film and Romulus, and the larger-scale action of Aliens. If you finish it and want more, the two prequels are the natural next step, since they explain where the creatures came from.

What about Alien: Earth?

Alien: Earth (2025) is a TV series rather than a film, so it is not on our movie lists. TheWrap reports that it is set two years before the events of the first Alien ^[3], which would place it just before the 1979 film in universe order. Disney+ lists it as a separate entry after the films, under its heading for viewers new to the Alien universe ^[2].

If you enjoy the series' mix of science fiction and horror, our list of the best horror movies includes more films in this vein, and the Jurassic Park watch order is a lighter creature-feature series.