Figuring out the correct order to watch the Alien and Predator movies is genuinely confusing. Two franchises, thirteen theatrical films, an anthology movie, and a TV series all share a single universe with overlapping timelines, prequels, and one outright reboot. I put this guide together after rewatching the entire saga, because I needed the same clarity you are probably looking for right now.
The Alien and Predator timeline explained simply looks like this: in chronological order, the Predator side begins in 1719 with Prey, while the Alien side starts billions of years earlier with the Engineers. They finally collide in 2004 with Alien vs. Predator, and the timeline now stretches all the way to 2381 with Alien: Resurrection. The newest additions, Predator: Killer of Killers and Predator: Badlands, both released in 2026, slot in around the same era as the original 1987 Predator.
By the end of this guide, you will know every film in release order, every film in chronological (in-universe) order, where Alien: Earth fits, whether the AvP crossover films are canon, and the watch order I recommend for first-time viewers in 2026.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Alien and Predator Shared Universe
The two franchises share a universe, but they were not built that way on purpose. Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien introduced the Xenomorph and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation without any mention of Predators. The first crossover did not happen until Paul W.S. Anderson’s Alien vs. Predator in 2004, which retroactively established that Predators had been hunting Xenomorphs for thousands of years.
On the Alien side, the Xenomorph is the iconic creature of the franchise, a parasitic species engineered (or perhaps seeded) by a race of tall pale beings called the Engineers. The Weyland-Yutani Corporation spends the entire timeline trying to capture and weaponize Xenomorphs. The prequel films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant reveal the deeper origin story of both the Engineers and the black goo pathogen that eventually produces the Xenomorphs we see in 1979.
On the Predator side, the creatures are officially called Yautja. They are an honor-obsessed alien hunter species that travels the galaxy seeking worthy prey. Their trophies are usually skulls and spinal columns. The Predator timeline now stretches from the 1700s with Prey all the way to the far future with Predator: Badlands in 2026.
The crossover between the two species is anchored by the Alien vs. Predator films, but the broader canon also connects them through subtle references. A Weyland-Yutani android appears in Predator 2. Ancient Predator technology appears briefly in Alien vs. Predator. Predator: Badlands even teases an Alien-adjacent threat. The shared universe is more cohesive than people give it credit for.
Key Terminology You Will See Throughout the Timeline
Xenomorph: The species name for the Alien creature, with a life cycle involving facehuggers, chestbursters, and adult drones.
Yautja: The proper name for Predators, revealed through expanded lore in comics and recent films.
Engineers: A progenitor alien race that seeded life across the galaxy and is connected to the origin of the Xenomorphs.
Weyland-Yutani: The greedy megacorporation that pursues Xenomorph specimens at any human cost across multiple films.
Black Goo: A mutagenic pathogen introduced in Prometheus that can create new life forms and is tied to Xenomorph origins.
Every Alien and Predator Movie in Chronological Order
This is the in-universe chronological order, meaning the order in which the events of the films happen rather than when they were released. Predator: Badlands and Predator: Killer of Killers (both 2026) actually take place far in the future, but the Yautja timeline stretches across centuries, so it makes sense when you see it.
The full chronological order of the Alien and Predator movies is:
Prey (set 1719) – Comanche warrior Naru faces the first Predator on Earth.
Predator: Killer of Killers (set roughly 841 AD to 1864) – Animated anthology following three Predator warriors across history.
Predator (set 1987) – Dutch Schaefer and his squad are hunted in a Central American jungle.
Predator 2 (set 1997) – Harrigan battles a Predator in gang-war era Los Angeles.
Alien vs. Predator (set 2004) – A team discovers a Predator pyramid beneath Antarctica housing an Alien queen.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (set 2004) – A Predator-Predalien hybrid terrorizes a small Colorado town.
Prometheus (set 2093) – The crew of the Prometheus searches for the Engineers on LV-223.
Alien: Covenant (set 2104) – The Covenant crew discovers the terrifying consequences of the black goo on Planet 4.
Alien (set 2122) – The Nostromo crew picks up an unwanted Xenomorph passenger on LV-426.
Alien: Romulus (set 2142) – Young colonists on the Renaissance station encounter horrifying creatures.
Aliens (set 2179) – Ripley returns to LV-426 with the Colonial Marines to fight the Xenomorph hive.
Alien 3 (set 2379) – Ripley crash-lands on Fiorina 161 with a Xenomorph aboard.
Alien: Resurrection (set 2381) – Ripley 8 is cloned two centuries later and confronts a new breed of Xenomorph.
Predator: Badlands (set far future) – A young outcast Predator proves himself on a deadly alien planet.
Note that Alien: Earth (the FX television series) takes place in 2122, just before the events of the original Alien. It is the first live-action Alien story set on Earth.
Every Alien and Predator Movie in Release Order
The release order is simpler to follow and is how most fans first experienced the franchise. This is the order the films came out in theaters, starting with the original Ridley Scott classic.
The release order is:
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Predator (1987)
Predator 2 (1990)
Alien 3 (1992)
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Predators (2010)
Prometheus (2012)
The Predator (2018)
Prey (2022)
Alien: Covenant (2017) – released after The Predator in some markets, but generally grouped with Prometheus
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Predator: Killer of Killers (2026, animated)
Predator: Badlands (2026)
Alien: Earth (FX, 2026) is a television series that aired alongside the most recent Predator films. It is canon and is set just before the original 1979 Alien film.
The Alien Franchise Timeline (1979-Present)
The Alien franchise has had a rocky journey, with classic entries followed by weaker sequels, then a bold prequel direction, and a recent return to horror. Here is every Alien film in order of release, with the key details for each.
Alien (1979)
Director Ridley Scott kicked off the entire franchise with this slow-burn haunted-house-in-space thriller. Sigourney Weaver plays Ellen Ripley, and the rest of the Nostromo crew includes Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, and Ian Holm as Ash. The film is set in 2122 aboard the commercial towing vessel Nostromo, and it introduced the Xenomorph to the world.
Aliens (1986)
James Cameron transformed the franchise into an action masterpiece. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley with Michael Biehn as Corporal Hicks and Carrie Henn as Newt. Set in 2179, the Colonial Marines drop onto LV-426 to investigate a lost colony and face an entire hive of Xenomorphs. It remains one of the greatest sequels ever made.
Alien 3 (1992)
David Fincher made his feature debut with this bleak, divisive third entry. Ripley crash-lands on the prison planet Fiorina 161 in 2379 with a Xenomorph embryo aboard. Charles Dutton and Charles Dance co-star. The Assembly Cut released later is widely considered the better version of the film.
Alien Resurrection (1997)
French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet took over for this far-future entry set in 2381. Winona Ryder and Ron Perlman join Sigourney Weaver as a cloned Ripley with Xenomorph DNA. The film is set two centuries after Alien 3 and introduces the Newborn, a human-Xenomorph hybrid.
Prometheus (2012)
Ridley Scott returned to the franchise with this prequel set in 2093. Noomi Rapace plays Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, Michael Fassbender plays the android David, and Charlize Theron plays Meredith Vickers. The crew travels to LV-223 to find the Engineers, the progenitors of humanity. The film explores the origin of the Xenomorph through the black goo pathogen.
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Ridley Scott again directed this direct follow-up to Prometheus, set in 2104. Michael Fassbender returns as two different androids, Walter and David. Katherine Waterston plays Daniels. The film shows the catastrophic results of the black goo on Planet 4 and ends with David in possession of a Xenomorph embryo. It bridges the gap between Prometheus and the original 1979 film.
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Fede Alvarez directed this back-to-basics horror entry set in 2142, between Alien and Aliens. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson lead the cast as young colonists who discover a derelict station filled with Xenomorphs and facehuggers. It connects loosely to Alien: Covenant through a chilling callback to David and includes a controversial Ian Holm cameo using deepfake archival footage.
Alien: Earth (2026)
Created by Noah Hawley for FX, Alien: Earth is the first live-action Alien story set on Earth. It takes place in 2122, just two years before the events of the original Alien. Sydney Chandler stars as Wendy, a hybrid child, with Timothy Olyphant as the synthetic Kirsch. The showrunner’s vision is to expand the lore of the Weyland-Yutani era and serve as a bridge to the original film.
The Predator Franchise Timeline (1987-Present)
The Predator franchise has gone through more reinventions than the Alien franchise, and recent entries in 2026 have done a great deal to flesh out Yautja history. Here is every Predator film in release order.
Predator (1987)
John McTiernan directed this Arnold Schwarzenegger classic. Dutch and his paramilitary squad are hunted by a Predator in a Central American jungle. Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Bill Duke co-star. The Predator trophy case scene in the finale became one of the most iconic visuals in 1980s sci-fi action.
Predator 2 (1990)
Stephen Hopkins took over directing duties with Danny Glover starring as LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan. The film moves the action to a gang-war-torn Los Angeles in 1997. It also includes a famous shot of a Weyland-Yutani xenomorph skull in the Predator trophy ship, the first canonical hint that the franchises share a universe.
Predators (2010)
Nimrod Antal directed this Robert Rodriguez-produced soft reboot. Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, and Alice Braga star as mercenaries who are abducted and dropped on a Predator game preserve planet. The film introduced Super Predators, a different faction of Yautja, and was the first major attempt to expand the Predator mythos beyond the original concept.
The Predator (2018)
Shane Black, who had a small role in the original 1987 film, directed this troubled entry. Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, and Olivia Munn star as a group of soldiers and a scientist who encounter an upgraded Predator on Earth. The film added genetic splicing concepts to Predator lore but was poorly received.
Prey (2022)
Dan Trachtenberg directed this highly praised prequel set in 1719. Amber Midthunder plays Naru, a young Comanche woman who must protect her tribe from the first Predator to come to Earth. The film was released on Hulu and became the best-reviewed Predator film since the original. Trachtenberg went on to direct Predator: Badlands.
Predator: Killer of Killers (2026)
This animated anthology film was released on Hulu in 2026. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung, it follows three Predator warriors across Viking Age Scandinavia, feudal Japan, and World War II. Each segment explores a different Predator hunting style. It is set roughly between 841 AD and 1944, making it the earliest Predator story in the franchise.
Predator: Badlands (2026)
Dan Trachtenberg directed this big-screen entry released theatrically in 2026. Elle Fanning stars alongside Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek, a young outcast Yautja who must prove himself on a deadly alien planet. The film is set in a far-future era and includes an Alien-adjacent creature threat. It is the most warmly received Predator theatrical film since the original.
Alien vs. Predator Crossover Films Explained
Two films make up the theatrical Alien vs. Predator series, plus they both had extended comic tie-ins that are no longer considered part of the main canon. Here is the rundown.
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Paul W.S. Anderson directed this first crossover, set in 2004. Sanaa Lathan leads a team of scientists and a Predator named Scar who must team up to fight a Xenomorph queen beneath Antarctica. The film establishes that Predators have been visiting Earth for thousands of years to hunt Xenomorphs as a rite of passage.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
The Brothers Strause directed this sequel, also set in 2004, taking place immediately after the first AvP film. A Predator-Predalien hybrid, a creature born from a Xenomorph facehugger impregnating a Predator, escapes to a small Colorado town. A veteran Predator hunts it down in a brutal small-town showdown.
Are the AvP Movies Canon?
This is one of the most-debated questions in the franchise. Officially, the AvP films were decanonized by Ridley Scott when he returned to direct Prometheus in 2012. They are not required viewing to understand the Alien timeline. However, they are embraced by the Predator timeline, and Predator: Badlands includes visual nods that suggest the broader AvP concept still influences the franchise.
My take: treat the AvP films as a fun side-story rather than required viewing. They contradict Prometheus and Alien: Covenant on the age of the Xenomorphs and Engineers, but they remain entertaining popcorn films with great creature designs by Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis.
New 2026 Releases and Where They Fit
The franchise got three major new entries in 2026, making this an exciting time to be a fan. Here is how each one slots into the broader timeline.
Alien: Earth (FX, 2026)
The FX series Alien: Earth is set in 2122, just two years before the original Alien. It follows the crash-landing of a Weyland-Yutani research vessel onto Earth and the chaos that follows as different factions race to capture the specimens aboard. It introduces the Prodigy Corporation as a rival to Weyland-Yutani and serves as a direct lead-in to the original 1979 film.
Predator: Killer of Killers (2026)
This animated anthology spans roughly a thousand years of Predator history, with three separate stories set in 841 AD, 1546, and 1944. It is technically the earliest Predator content in the franchise timeline and showcases how the Yautja have hunted humanity across the ages.
Predator: Badlands (2026)
Predator: Badlands is set in the far future and is the first theatrical Predator film since Prey. Dek is a young Yautja outcast who travels to a hostile planet to hunt a legendary monster. The film exists in its own era but has subtle connections to the Alien universe. It is the most successful Predator film in decades and signals that the franchise is in good creative hands.
Best Watch Order for First-Time Viewers
There is no single correct watch order, but after rewatching everything for this guide, I have three recommendations depending on what kind of viewer you are.
Option 1: Release Order (Best for Newcomers)
If you have never seen any of these films, start with release order. It is how most fans experienced the saga, and the original Alien hits harder when you do not know its secrets in advance.
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Predator (1987)
Predator 2 (1990)
Alien 3 (1992)
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Predators (2010)
Prometheus (2012)
The Predator (2018)
Prey (2022)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Alien: Earth (2026)
Predator: Killer of Killers (2026)
Predator: Badlands (2026)
Option 2: Chronological Order (Best for Lore Fans)
If you care most about understanding the universe as it unfolds in-universe, chronological order is the way to go.
Prey (1719)
Predator: Killer of Killers (841 AD – 1944)
Predator (1987)
Predator 2 (1997)
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2004)
Prometheus (2093)
Alien: Covenant (2104)
Alien: Earth (2122)
Alien (2122)
Alien: Romulus (2142)
Aliens (2179)
Alien 3 (2379)
Alien Resurrection (2381)
Predator: Badlands (far future)
Option 3: My Recommended Hybrid Order
For the best balance of storytelling and lore, this is the order I would actually recommend in 2026. Start with the original quadrilogy, then drop the prequels in chronologically, then handle the crossovers, then finish with the new releases.
Alien (1979)
Aliens (1986)
Alien 3 (1992, Assembly Cut if possible)
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Predator (1987)
Predator 2 (1990)
Predators (2010)
The Predator (2018) – skip if you do not enjoy the tonal shift
Prey (2022)
Prometheus (2012)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Alien: Earth (2026)
Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Predator: Killer of Killers (2026)
Predator: Badlands (2026)
This order preserves the original Ellen Ripley arc, builds out the Yautja timeline naturally, drops the prequels where they belong, and saves the most fun Predator material for last.
Extended and Assembly Cuts
Worth noting: Alien 3 has an Assembly Cut released in 2003 that adds 30 minutes of footage and is the version most fans prefer. Alien Resurrection has no official extended cut but has a deleted-scenes disc. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant both have special editions with deleted scenes that flesh out the Engineer lore.
FAQs
What is the correct order to watch all the Alien and Predator movies?
The best order for first-time viewers is to start with the original Alien quadrilogy in release order (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection), then watch the Predator films (Predator, Predator 2, Predators, Prey), then the prequels (Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, Alien: Romulus, Alien: Earth), and finish with the AvP crossover films and new 2026 releases.
Is Alien: Romulus a sequel to Alien: Covenant?
Alien: Romulus is set in 2142, between Alien (2122) and Aliens (2179), so it takes place after both Covenant (2104) and the original Alien. It is a direct follow-up to Alien in story terms, but it contains a major callback to Alien: Covenant through a deepfake Ian Holm cameo as the android Rook.
Where does Predator: Badlands fit in the timeline?
Predator: Badlands is set in the far future of the Predator universe, after all other Predator films. It features a young outcast Yautja named Dek and includes subtle visual references to the Alien universe, suggesting the two franchises remain linked across cosmic timescales.
Should I watch Prometheus or Alien first?
You should watch Alien first. Prometheus is a prequel set in 2093, but it was designed as an entry point for new viewers, not as required setup for the original. Watching Alien first lets you appreciate the Xenomorph reveal and lets Prometheus land as a deeper lore expansion rather than as an introduction.
Are the AvP movies canon to the Alien and Predator franchises?
The two theatrical AvP films (Alien vs. Predator in 2004 and Requiem in 2007) are not considered canon to the main Alien timeline after Ridley Scott returned to direct Prometheus in 2012. They remain embraced by the Predator timeline and are referenced indirectly in newer entries like Predator: Badlands.
What is the chronological order of Alien: Earth?
Alien: Earth is set in 2122, just two years before the original Alien (2122) and one year before the events on LV-426. It is the first live-action Alien story set on Earth and serves as a direct lead-in to the 1979 film, following the crash of a Weyland-Yutani research vessel.
Are all Predator movies connected?
All Predator films exist in the same Yautja universe, though the connections are loose. The 1987 and 1990 films share trophy-case Easter eggs, Prey establishes ancient Predator history, and Killer of Killers and Badlands expand the timeline across a thousand years of Yautja hunting culture.
Do you have to watch all Predator movies in order?
No, you do not need to watch every Predator film in order. The original Predator and Predator 2 are most connected, while Prey, Killer of Killers, and Badlands are essentially standalone entries that expand the lore without requiring prior viewing of the others.
Who wins in Alien vs Predator?
In the 2004 theatrical film Alien vs. Predator, the Xenomorph queen is defeated when a Predator self-destructs the pyramid. Across the broader franchise, the answer depends on circumstances: a single Xenomorph usually loses to a Predator with weapons, but a hive of Xenomorphs will overwhelm any Predator.
Final Thoughts
The Alien and Predator timeline explained properly takes in nearly 700 years of in-universe history across seventeen films and one TV series. The franchises share a universe, with Predators hunting Xenomorphs and humans trapped in the middle. Whether you watch in release order, chronological order, or my recommended hybrid, you are in for some of the best sci-fi horror and action ever put on screen.
If you are watching for the first time, start with Alien (1979) and go from there. If you are a returning fan catching up on the 2026 releases, Predator: Badlands and Alien: Earth are both essential viewing. Either way, the franchise is healthier right now than it has been in decades, and that is something worth celebrating.