“Fallout” TV Series – Walton Goggins Will Star in the Amazon Project!

The Alien franchise is headed to the small screen with a TV series in the works over at FX, and FX’s John Landgraf has teased some new details in a chat with Deadline today.

For starters, Landgraf reiterates that Ellen Ripley will NOT be making an appearance in the series, which is set here on Earth decades before the events of the original Alien movie.

“Alien takes place before Ripley. It’s the first story that takes place in the Alien franchise on Earth,” he explains to Deadline. “So, it takes place on our planet. Right near the end of this century we’re in — so 70-odd years from now. Ripley won’t be a part of it or any of the other characters of Alien other than the alien itself.”

Landgraf also tells the site that creator Noah Hawley‘s take on the Alien franchise works as both an “extension and reinvention” of the films that have come before it.

At a time when franchises are increasingly beholden to the past, it’s nice to hear that the “Alien” series is moving away not only from existing characters we already know, but also from the familiar setting the Alien films have always taken place in. There’s no telling how well any of this is going to work out, of course, but the project immediately feels fresh and different.

FX recently teased, “Expect a scary thrill ride set not too far in the future here on Earth.” According to these latest comments, it sounds like we’re talking about 30 years pre-Alien.

Last we heard, Ridley Scott is expected to be on board as producer.

Expect to wait until 2023 for the return of the Alien franchise.