How to Watch the ‘Alien’ Movies in Order

Watch the titles that feature the Xenomorph or all of the connected Predator movies for the full cinematic experience

Working out how to watch the Alien movies in chronological order can be a challenge in and of itself, but also trying to place the Predator films (which share the same cinematic universe) in the timeline can feel really daunting. Fortunately, it’s not impossible.

This guide features the three main watch lists that Alien fans will need depending on their personal watch order style and how comprehensive they want their movie marathons to be.

All of the Alien and Predator movies are also available to rent and buy digitally on platforms such as Amazon, Apple TV, Microsoft Store, and the Google Play Store. Physical 4K Blu-ray releases are available as well.

'Alien' and 'Predator' Movies in Order of Release

This list shows all of the movies that prominently feature the Xenomorph in the order that they were released. Watching these movies in the order that they came out in is often preferred by many fans as each new entry in the franchise introduces new elements which build upon the mythology.

For example, the reveal of the Alien Queen in Aliens is a major moment in the franchise that could be spoiled if you watch one of the latter films first.

While the Predator series shares the same universe as the Alien movies, and Predator 2 and The Predator even have some Xenomorph Easter eggs, they don’t actually feature the terrifying alien creature. The two Alien vs. Predator films are more important for Alien fans, however, as they both heavily focus on the Xenomorph and make significant additions to the lore.

 Entry  Release  Where to Watch
 Alien  1979 Disney+, Hulu
 Aliens  1986 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien 3  1992 Disney+, Hulu
Alien: Resurrection  1997 Disney+, Hulu
Alien vs. Predator  2004 Disney+, Hulu
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem  2007 Disney+, Hulu
 Prometheus  2012 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien: Covenant  2017 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien: Romulus  2024 Disney+, Hulu
Alien: Earth  2025 Disney+, Hulu (2025)

Want to watch all of the Alien movies in one go? That will take you about 16 hours in total (not counting the TV series), so make sure to prepare food and drinks and have a sleep break at the midway point, possibly after AVP.

© 20th Century Fox

'Alien' Movies in Chronological Order

Here’s the correct timeline order for the whole franchise, including the TV series and the two Alien vs. Predator flicks.

 Entry  In-Universe Date  Where to Watch
Alien vs. Predator  2004 Disney+, Hulu
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem  2004 Disney+, Hulu
 Prometheus  2089-2093 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien: Covenant  2104 Disney+, Hulu
Alien: Earth 2120 Disney+, Hulu (2025)
 Alien  2122 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien: Romulus  2142 Disney+, Hulu
 Aliens  2179 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien 3  2179 Disney+, Hulu
Alien: Resurrection  2318 Disney+, Hulu

Watching all of the Alien and AVP movies in chronological order will take around 17 hours.

The Ultimate 'Alien' and 'Predator' Movies Chronological Order List

Feeling ambitious and want to experience the full epic Alien and Predator cinematic universe in chronological order from the 1700s through to the 2300s? This list has you covered with every Predator movie, Alien movie, and the Alien TV series sorted into the correct order in which they take place in the timeline.

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

All of the years in which each movie or series is set have been confirmed either by on-screen mentions of the timeline date or by statements made by the filmmakers.

The 2010 film, Predators, is the only entry that’s particularly ambiguous with its time period as it takes place entirely on an alien planet with a group of kidnapped humans, and no date is ever shown. Most fans assume it’s set around its release date of 2010, but some fans place it between Predator and Predator 2 (since one character references the events of the first film and not the second), and others put it in 2024 based on a reference in the game Predator: Hunting Grounds.

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

 Entry  In-Universe Date  Where to Watch
 Prey  1719 Disney+, Hulu
 Predator  1987 Disney+, Hulu
 Predator 2  1997 Disney+, Hulu
Alien vs. Predator  2004 Disney+, Hulu
 Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem  2004 Disney+, Hulu
 Predators  2010s (unconfirmed) Disney+, Hulu
 The Predator  2018 Disney+, Hulu
 Prometheus  2089-2093 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien: Covenant  2104 Disney+, Hulu
Alien: Earth 2120 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien  2122 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien: Romulus  2142 Disney+, Hulu
 Aliens  2179 Disney+, Hulu
 Alien 3  2179 Disney+, Hulu
Alien: Resurrection  2381 Disney+, Hulu

Watching every single entry in the Predator and Alien timeline (excluding the Alien TV series and unreleased films) will take over a full day, so it’s obviously not recommended to attempt viewing them all in one sitting. However, watching one or two a night could make for an action-packed sci-fi month and would be an efficient way to get ready for upcoming releases.

© 20th Century Fox

Are ‘Alien’ and ‘Prometheus’ Connected?

Prometheus is an official entry in the Alien franchise set before the original 1979 movie and after the two Alien vs. Predator films. Alien: Covenant is a direct sequel to Prometheus. It’s unclear if we’ll ever get a direct sequel to Alien: Covenant, though we expect references to it and Prometheus in future films and TV series.

Are the ‘Terminator’ and ‘Alien’ Movies Connected?

The Alien and Terminator franchises don’t officially share the same cinematic universe. There have been several direct connections made in some expanded universe media such as comic books and video games, but these are not considered canon as far as the films and TV series are concerned.

Having said that, James Cameron, who created the Terminator franchise and directed Aliens, originally referred to the company in his early scripts as Hyperdyne, though he eventually changed it to Cyberdyne before filming started.

The serial number for the android Ash in Alien, Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2, is similar to the codes given to the cyborg models in the Terminator films (e.g., "Cyberdyne Systems Series 800").

The Aliens Vs. Predator arcade game implied that Dutch, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from the original Predator movie, was in fact a cyborg created by Cyberdyne. This game isn’t canon as far as the films are concerned, but rumors say that this plot element was going to be included in the Alien Vs. Predator movie. In the end, however, it wasn’t used, so this connection isn’t canon … yet.

Tri-Star Pictures

Are ‘Blade Runner’ and ‘Aliens’ Connected?

It’s unclear if the Blade Runner and Alien franchises are meant to be connected or not. Ridley Scott, who directed Blade Runner, did include some visual similarities in the technology used in both Alien and Blade Runner, but this seems to be more of an Easter egg—or a way to reduce production costs —than an official connection.

An extra on the 1999 20th Anniversary Alien DVD does mention the Tyrell Corporation, the company from Blade Runner, but a DVD extra likely made as fan service probably isn’t meant to be considered concrete evidence of a canon, in-universe connection.

One of the extras on the Prometheus Blu-ray release, "The Peter Weyland Files," also suggests the two franchises are related. A log from that character says,

A mentor and long-departed competitor once told me that it was time to put away childish things and abandon my "toys." He encouraged me to come work for him and together we would take over the world and become the new Gods. That's how he ran his corporation, like a God on top of a pyramid overlooking a city of angels.
Of course, he chose to replicate the power of creation in an unoriginal way, by simply copying God. And look how that turned out for [him]. Literally blew up in the old man's face. I always suggested he stick with simple robotics instead of those genetic abominations he [. . .] sold off-world, although his idea to implant them with false memories was, well ... "amusing," is how I would put it politely.

This "mentor and long-departed competitor" is almost certainly Eldon Tyrell, the head of the eponymous corporation and creator of Blade Runner's replicants. The Tyrell Corporation building is, in fact, a huge pyramid, and the "city of angels" is an on-the-nose reference to the movie's setting of Los Angeles. Some replicants did, in fact, have false memories that convinced them they were human.

Again, we probably can't rely on extra-movie material for rulings either way, but they are fun to consider.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Confirmation of a connection between the Alien and Blade Runner franchises may happen one way or the other in the Alien TV series, which will be the first entry in the franchise set on Earth in the future. If Earth (specifically Los Angeles) doesn’t look like it does in Blade Runner, this suggests that the two franchises are indeed separate.

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