At Comic-Con 2023, the cast of FX’s highly anticipated series ‘Alien: Earth’ shared thrilling insights and behind-the-scenes secrets.
‘Alien: Earth’ Unveils Secrets at Comic-Con
“I almost peed.” That was Sydney Chandler‘s reaction to encountering a terrifying Xenomorph for the first time on the set of Alien: Earth, FX’s adaptation of the iconic film franchise. Chandler portrays Wendy, a formidable female robot with the consciousness of a human child. She joined showrunner Noah Hawley, executive producer David W. Zucker, and cast members Timothy Olyphant (Kirsh), Babou Ceesay (Morrow), Alex Lawther (Hermit), and Samuel Blenkin (Boy Kavalier) at San Diego Comic-Con for a panel in Hall H, following the world premiere of the first episode.
Childhood Fears Come to Life
“I became a kid again,” Chandler shared. “The Xenomorph haunted my nightmares as a child. So, during night shoots at 4 or 5 a.m., when a Xenomorph — played by our wonderful vegan Cameron Brown — charges at you, I felt giddy. I was scared, and that’s hard to achieve on set.”
Fortunately, the actor inside the 10-foot-tall alien costume is quite friendly. “Shout-out to Cameron,” Chandler said. “We all adore him. So nice, yet so terrifying … truly the sweetest person in the world.”
Behind the Scenes Surprises
Lawther was amused to discover that the Xenomorph’s drool is actually K-Y Jelly. “I spent a lot of time covered in that during shooting,” he laughed. “And Sydney’s right. There’s something comical about the Xenomorph’s fearsome appearance, but then he removes his head, and he’s from New Zealand, and he doesn’t eat meat. If you think Sydney and I are soft-spoken, just wait until you meet the Xenomorph.”
A Gift from the Original Creators
Hawley described adapting Alien for television as a “gift.” He previously won an Emmy for transforming the Fargo movie into an anthology series. “I have a deep connection with the films I adapt, and I approach them from a place of love,” he explained. “These films shaped my childhood.”
Discussing the challenge of honoring Ridley Scott and the original 1979 film, Hawley said, “Walking onto the set of the Maginot, built to Ridley’s Nostromo specifications, collapses time. You see it every time an actor steps onto that stage for the first time. It’s humbling.” Scott serves as an executive producer on Alien: Earth.
A Dream Role for Chandler
Chandler described being the lead of the franchise as a “dream.” “I’ve been a sci-fi fan and an Alien nerd forever. Watching it at too young an age terrified me! The fact that I got this opportunity and Noah believed in me is surreal. I keep pinching myself.”
Olyphant praised Chandler for carrying the show “so beautifully.” He shared that the cast watched the Comic-Con audience react to the episode on the big screen, calling it a “very special experience” for everyone involved.
See More ...
Immersive Comic-Con Experience
Ceesay recalled watching the original movie “way too early,” noting that the “Chestburster moment” left a lasting impression on him since he was nine. “But as Noah said, stepping onto the set of the Nostromo was a moment. Seeing 100 people become children in one instant was extraordinary.”
One of Hawley’s main objectives for Alien: Earth is to provide new audiences with unforgettable imagery. “The feeling you can’t regain from watching the original Alien is the discovery of this creature’s life cycle. It starts as an egg and ends as a 10-foot-tall Xenomorph, with each step being more horrifying than the last. To recreate that feeling, we needed to introduce new characters, leaving audiences uncertain about their breeding and diet. This way, we can evoke the genetic revulsion we all felt watching Alien for the first time,” the showrunner revealed.
Blenkin plays a young CEO at Prodigy, often seen barefoot. “I specifically requested no K-Y Jelly near my character,” he joked, referencing the earlier discussion about the Xenomorph. When asked about parallels between Boy Kavalier and modern eccentric billionaires, he quipped, “It’s not a huge leap to see the similarities. But, you know, he’s a trillionaire. He views everything in the room as his property, and that was a blast to portray.”
At San Diego Comic-Con, the network hosted an immersive activation called “The Wreckage.” Fans explored areas of the USCSS Maginot during the day or faced a “Code Red” mission at night, filled with jump-scares and terrifying creatures.
Alien: Earth premieres on FX and Hulu on August 12, airing every Tuesday until the finale on September 23.
