Alien: Beyond a Half-Century Myth to Descend Upon Earth

In 1979, Ridley Scott's 'Alien' was more than just a sci-fi horror film; it was the beginning of a myth that would be forever etched in cinematic history. The desperate struggle against an unidentified extraterrestrial lifeform within a closed spaceship provided audiences worldwide with extreme tension and horror. For the long years approaching half a century since, the 'Alien' series has extended its lifeblood, expanding its universe through numerous sequels and prequels. And in 2024, this legendary franchise has returned to its fans in a new form—not on the big screen, but for the first time in a drama series. The most shocking fact is that its stage is finally humanity's home: Earth.
 

The driving force behind the 'Alien' series' long-lasting popularity is undoubtedly the power of the monumental original trilogy. If the first film showed the essence of claustrophobic horror, James Cameron's sequel was a huge success by transforming the genre into an action blockbuster, and David Fincher's third film added depth with its dark and philosophical atmosphere. On the solid foundation built by this highly complete trilogy, subsequent works were mainly produced as prequels dealing with past stories. This was a clever choice to explore the origins of the universe without damaging the legacy of the original.

Among the prequel series, 'Prometheus' and 'Alien: Covenant,' both helmed again by Ridley Scott, sparked much debate among fans by posing profound philosophical questions about the relationship between creator and creation, and the identity of artificial intelligence. 'Covenant,' in particular, raised immense curiosity for a sequel with its shocking ending, but unfortunately, that story did not continue on screen. This new drama is set in a timeline not far from 'Covenant,' raising expectations for how it will inherit and develop the weighty themes the film once presented.

Until now, the core setting of the 'Alien' series has always been the vast and isolated expanse of 'space.' Events mainly occurred in confined spaces like spaceships or alien planets, and it seemed unlikely that the aftermath would directly affect Earth. However, this drama breaks that long-standing unwritten rule by boldly featuring the groundbreaking setting of an Alien finally landing on Earth. This signifies more than just a change of scenery; it means a paradigm shift in the horror itself. The possibility has opened for a fight for survival in an isolated space to escalate into a catastrophe that threatens all of human civilization.

The drama's temporal setting is 16 years after 'Alien: Covenant' and just two years before the original 'Alien' film. This exquisite setting creates an interesting visual effect. Although the era in the work is the future, it is based on the future imagined by the 1979 film, so from today's perspective, its technology looks rather dated. The sight of a cutting-edge computer running a DOS program makes one realize the dazzling speed of technological development while creating a unique aesthetic atmosphere of 'retro-futurism.'

The Earth in the drama is a dystopian society ruled not by nations but by mega-corporations. With five super-giant companies governing their respective territories, the story centers on 'Prodigy,' the most recent company to rise to the fifth position. An unidentified spaceship carrying an Alien crash-lands in the terrestrial region governed by Prodigy, marking the beginning of all events. This suggests that the story will deal not only with a battle against a monster but also with corporate greed and ethical issues.

At the pinnacle of its technological ambition, 'Prodigy' was secretly developing a new form of synthetic android: the 'humanoid.' These beings are created by implanting the consciousness of a terminally ill child into an artificial body. The first and most outstanding individual among them, who retains all past memories while gaining a new body and abilities, is the protagonist, 'Wendy.' The emergence of this new being, which could be the future of humanity or another threat, adds depth to the story in conjunction with the external threat of the Alien.

The peace did not last long. A spaceship, out of control due to an Alien attack, crashes into a building in Prodigy's jurisdiction. Prodigy immediately dispatches a search team, which coincidentally includes Wendy's brother as a medic. Sensing her brother is in danger, Wendy, despite her existence being a secret, strongly requests to be deployed on the mission, finally stepping out into the world to face an unknown threat.

Wendy and the other humanoids, despite their superior abilities, are 'unfinished' beings who have just been born. Mentally, they still possess the identity of a child and have no experience of the world. In contrast, the Alien they must face is the familiar 'perfected' killing machine, evolved solely for survival and procreation. This stark contrast is reminiscent of the battle between David and Goliath, creating extreme tension over how this new, unfinished humanity will fight against the perfect predator.

This 8-episode drama completed all its filming in Thailand in 2023, and the released footage and information prove that each episode has been produced with a quality comparable to a feature film. The unique charm of the 'Alien' series, which exquisitely combines the intellectual pleasure of the sci-fi genre with the chilling thrill of a horror film, is expected to be fully displayed in this work. Above all, the world's attention is focused on what kind of narrative the fateful confrontation between the humanoid Wendy, who may be the hope of humanity, and the Alien, which symbolizes humanity's despair, will create.