What do we know about the new Alien TV Show?

The FX film is something that most of us have grown up with. The Alien franchise starring Sigourney Weaver in the iconic role of Ellen Ripley holds a fond place in the hearts of many FX fans.

It might be 30 years since we were introduced to Ridley Scott’s Alien films, but their popularity has endured. Now Disney, in collaboration with FX, are making a brand new Alien TV show which will return the xenomorph to our screens in the form of a series. If you are interested in FX film or indeed are considering a film production degree, you may be interested to know exactly what this new show has in store for us.

What is the Release Date?

In short, there is no news with regard to a release date for the series. In fact, production hasn’t even begun and only 5 episodes have been written so far. The company that will be in charge of the production have blamed Covid for this delay, stating that as a result of the pandemic there are many projects within the industry that have fallen behind. They believe it will take some time to clear this backlog. The most conservative guess at the moment is that it will be 2023 before the Alien TV show is released, and it should be available to view as part of the Disney+ catalogue.

What Kind of Plot Might We See?

We know that this time the action will take place on earth and that it will be pre-Ripley. The writers have suggested that it will actually be set as far back as 70 years before, which would put it in the same era as Prometheus – 2089-93.

How FX Was Used in the Films

Alien won the 1980 Academy Award for The Best Visual Effects, a great coup for a film that was shot on a surprisingly low budget. Cutting edge motion control wasn’t an option due to the shortness of budget so the directors chose instead to shoot many of the scenes in close up. In fact, many scenes were shot completely live as they happened. These conditions heightened the intensity of the scenes with the Alien.

Of course one of the most iconic FX scenes in the films is of course the “chestburster” scene which sees the Alien burst out of Ellen Ripley, to the horror of the rest of the crew.

Film FX Courses at the University of Bolton – The Future of FX

There has never been a better time to consider studying for a film production degree. Advances in technology mean that even over the course of the last few years significant advances have been made which have allowed FX to really help bring films to life. The good news is that there are also plenty of film studies degree jobs available as well making this a great step on the path to a wonderful career.

At the University of Bolton, we offer a number of fx film courses that will help you to hone all of those vital skills for a career in a fascinating industry with plenty of possibilities for career progression. Our specialist lecturers work in state-of-the-art facilities to support you throughout your studies, allowing you to gain the expertise and skills that you need for success in film studies degree jobs; no matter what your favourite genre.

The University of Bolton has been voted 1st in the North West of England for both teaching quality and student experience for the second year running. * We believe this is in no small part due to the university experience that we offer. Our diverse community is welcoming and inclusive and always puts the needs of the student first. This is true #UniAsItShouldBe.

If you would like to learn more about the university or any of our FX film courses, we would be delighted to chat with you. Our team of friendly advisors can be contacted by email at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or by calling +44 (0)1204 900 600. Should you wish to browse our film production degree courses to see what’s on offer, simply click here.