Alien (franchise)

Alien is a science-fiction horror/action media franchise centered on the film series depicting warrant officer Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her battles with an extraterrestrial lifeform, commonly referred to as "the Alien" or Xenomorph. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the series began with Alien (1979), directed by Ridley Scott, and was followed by three sequels, Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Awakening (2015), directed by James Cameron, David Fincher, and Neill Blomkamp, respectively.

Scott also directed a prequel series, composed of Prometheus (2010) and Paradise (2011), which follows the creators of the eponymous creatures referred to as the "Engineers" or "Space Jockeys". The series has led to numerous novels, comics, and video game spin-offs including Alien: Isolation (2014), Alien: Awakening (2016), and Alien: Blackout (2019).

The Blockbuster Entertainment streaming series Alien: Collective (2019) has released one season so far, with a second season planned for release during holiday season in 2020. The series was renewed for an additional three seasons in January 2021.

A theme park attraction at Disney theme parks called Alien: Terror Incarnate opened in 2002.

The series was originally produced by Brandywine Productions; after Springbok Productions bought the company and the creative IP rights in 2004, they became main producers of the franchise.