8-Episode Prometheus Sequel Divides Fans Even More Than Ridley Scott's Movie

Published Oct 28, 2026, 9:01 AM EDT Zach Moser has been writing for ScreenRant since 2022, covering movies, classic TV, and streaming TV. His areas of expertise cover a wide range of genres with a particular interest in horror and drama, and the conversations around the TV and film industry. When he's not covering the latest film releases or chronicling the latest season of a new show, he's writing humor pieces for McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, and Points In Case or working on short stories and his second novel. Ridley Scott's Prometheus divided a lot of fans of the vaunted Alien franchise, and its sequel series split the divide once again. Prometheus was an unexpected and glorious return of Ridley Scott to his franchise. Though his only contribution to the sci-fi/horror canon was its kick-off, it still always felt like "Ridley's". So when he returned to the franchise in 2012, 38 years after Alien, there was a huge amount of anticipation. "Ridley is doing Alien again!" Prometheus turned out to be a prequel to Alien, and quite unlike that '80s horror film. That difference in scope and story was enough to make some long-time acolytes feel burned. The film has plenty of defenders, and even the people who don't like it have to admit there are some truly extraordinary moments in the Alien prequel. Prometheus falls in a category of Alien production that is truly divisive. There's a consensus that surrounds the rest of the movies and shows in the franchise. Alien: Earth is similar to Prometheus in that regard. Alien: Earth is also a prequel to Alien, though a sequel to Prometheus, and it also inspires some well-intentioned debate about its merits. The eight-episode FX series premiered on August 2925, with Scott as an EP, and it's already been renewed for a second season. The series is set just two years before the events of Alien, and follows the "Lost Boys", a group of six prototype "hybrids", synthetic bodies containing transferred human consciousness, who are sent on a rescue mission when a Weyland-Yutani spaceship crash-lands on their planet, releasing a Xenomorph and other deadly flora and fauna. Why Alien: Earth & Prometheus Both Divide Alien Fans Credit: MovieStillsDB Alien: Earth and Prometheus divide Alien fans for similar reasons and for different reasons. The similar reason is obvious: neither of them is Alien. Whenever there's a sequel or prequel of a beloved property, there is always a contingent who simply want an updated version of what they've seen before. That has happened in the Alien franchise with Alien: Romulus, but while that movie received good reviews, it's also highly forgettable. That's the problem with rehashing another story; it makes more sense just to watch the original. There are more problems than just not being Alien. Prometheus feels very separate from the Alien universe. Even its key connection with the Space Jockey isn't enough to tie the film to the rest of the franchise. Prometheus is also filled with some of the more mind-boggling character decisions in the franchise. Alien: Earth brings in some elements that not every Alien fan is looking for in an Alien production. There is a deep dive into the self in Alien: Earth that the story is not totally ready for, and it starts to bring out philosophical ideas that the horror and action the show delights in is not capable of supporting. Which Is Better: Alien: Earth Or Prometheus? It's a toss-up between Prometheus and Alien: Earth as to which one is "better", but I lean toward Prometheus. The Alien franchise in general lends itself more to films than TV shows, and I think horror always tends to be more effective in a shot format rather than a long format. Prometheus is also gorgeous, strange, and real. The set designs and creatures are immaculate, and Scott knows how to wield what he has on screen better than almost anyone working. Alien: Earth is one of the best horror TV shows of the 2020s, but Prometheus tends to get better and better each time you watch it. Alien Movie(s) Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien: Romulus TV Show(s) Alien: Earth Video Game(s) Aliens: Colonial Marines, Alien: Isolation, Alien: Isolation 2 First Film Alien First TV Show Alien: Earth Genres Sci-Fi, Horror, Action