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On terror firma

New Zealand Listener

|

August 9-15, 2025

The new Alien series is set in the era of the original movie but has an AI update.

- BY RUSSELL BAILLIE

On terror firma

In space no one can hear you scream" was the great poster oneliner from the first Alien movie in 1979. It's also the title of one of eight episodes in Alien: Earth, the first TV extension of the franchise. As its name suggests, it's the first time the nasty creatures, which kept making life difficult for Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in the early films, have been brought to terra firma. True, 2004's Alien vs. Predator had a terrestrial monster bash, but that's best ignored.

According to show creator Noah Hawley, here taking on another film spin-off after five mostly great seasons of

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