In What Order Should You Watch the *Alien* Movies? A Complete Guide for 2026

Table of Contents :

Do you want to watch the Alien saga in the right order? The’cinema release order remains the best choice for a first-time experience, while the’chronological order will delight connoisseurs who want to understand the origins of the xenomorphs.

We'll go over both options in detail, with or without the Predator movies.

Watch the Alien movies in order of release

Poster for Ridley Scott's film *Alien: The Eighth Passenger* — Poster for the movie *Alien: The Eighth Passenger*. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

This series lets you follow the franchise's evolution exactly as the audience experienced it, from the first encounter with the xenomorph up to the prequels to Ridley Scott.

Alien, le huitième passager (1979) by Ridley Scott
Aliens, le retour (1986) by James Cameron
Alien 3 (1992) by David Fincher
Alien, la Résurrection (1997) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Prometheus (2012) by Ridley Scott
Alien : Covenant (2017) by Ridley Scott
Alien : Romulus (2024) by Fede Alvarez

Check out in which order to watch the Star Wars films.

Watch the Alien movies in chronological order

Poster of the movie Alien Prometheus — Poster for the movie *Prometheus*. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

Would you rather follow the story in chronological order? This is the perfect route for connoisseurs.

Prometheus (2089–2093): Explorers search for the origins of humanity.
Alien : Covenant (2104): The Android David continues his experiments.
Alien, le huitième passager (2122): The crew of the Nostromo discover the creature.
Alien : Romulus (2142): A group of young people faces off against the xenomorph on a space station.
Aliens, le retour (2179) : Ripley returns to face the queen.
Alien 3 (2179): The story takes place on the prison planet Fiorina.
Alien, la résurrection (around 2379): Ripley reappears two centuries later.

Watch Alien movies with Predator movies

Poster for the movie *Alien vs. Predator* set against a dark science-fiction backdrop — Poster for the movie *Alien vs. Predator*. ©Antonin for Alucare.fr

Do you want to join the Alien VS Predator What did you think of them? These two movies are considered non-canon by a large part of the fandom, and Ridley Scott has excluded them from his vision of the universe. That said, if you like action and crossover stories, they’re still fun to watch.

Here is the recommended chronological order for including them:

Alien VS Predator (2004)
Alien VS Predator : Requiem (2007)
Prometheus (2089-2093)
Alien : Covenant (2104)
Alien, le huitième passager (2122)
Alien : Romulus (2142)
Aliens, le retour (2179)
Alien 3 (2179)
Alien, la résurrection (c. 2379)

The dates listed for both AVP correspond to their theatrical release. In the series, their story takes place well before the events of the rest of the saga.

FAQs

Synopsis of Each Alien Movie

It all began in 1979 In the first film: seven people wake up from a hibernation lasting 10 months on board a spacecraft, returning from a routine mission. The presence of a form of extraterrestrial life The events on board set the entire plot in motion, and the battle between humans and the xenomorphs will never end.

Here is a summary of each installment in the series.

Alien Movie	Summary
Alien, le huitième passager	The first installment of the saga, directed by Ridley Scott, taking place in 2122. The Ship Nostromo, which is transporting ore, picks up a signal from an unknown planet. While exploring an alien spacecraft, the officer Kane is attacked by an unknown life form.
Aliens, le retour	57 years on the events of the first movie, Ellen Ripley is saved. Despite his warnings about the xenomorphs, a military mission sets out for LV-426, where settlers have gone missing. Ripley helps them face the creatures once again. Directed by James Cameron.
Alien 3	Ripley survives the chaos of LV-426, but his ship crashes into Fiorina 161, a prison planet. An alien snuck in with her, causing violent deaths among inmates. Directed by David Fincher.
Alien, la résurrection	In 2379, or 200 years later Alien 3, Ripley returns as a clone imbued with xenomorph DNA. Endowed with superhuman powers, she once again faces off against the Aliens alongside a group of mercenaries in a battle against the genetic experiments. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
Prometheus	Signed prequel Ridley Scott, taking place in 2093. A team travels to a distant planet to explore the origins of xenomorphs and the creators of humanity, but discovers an unexpected threat.
Alien: Covenant	Continued from Prometheus, taking place in 2104. The ship's crew Covenant He is searching for a habitable planet, but stumbles upon an extinct civilization and deadly creatures. The link with Alien origins becomes clearer through the android David.
Alien: Romulus	Directed by Fede Alvarez, the film follows Rain Carradine and his friends, who are fleeing a mining planet while exploring a space station. They awaken xenomorphs created through experiments and find themselves trapped and facing horrors, until Rain survives and is looking for a fresh start.
Alien Vs Predator	The story revolves around a mysterious object hidden beneath the Antarctic ice, marking the encounter between humans and the xenomorph at the 21st century. Alien predators are arriving in droves to regain control from their hunting grounds.
Alien Vs Predator: Requiem	A Predator spacecraft crashes near a small town in the Colorado, unleashing a formidable hybrid, the Predalien. A lone Predator is sent to erase all traces of the incident, while the residents try to survive amid two warring alien species.

Where can I stream the Alien saga?

In July 2026, the *Alien* movies will be available on Disney+ and on Amazon Prime Video. Be sure to check availability in your region, as rights change regularly.

Whether you choose the’output order or thechronological order, the most important thing is to enjoy this immersive adventure.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.

And if you want to explore other series, check out in which order to watch Marvel.

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