Series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley confirmed that if Alien: Earth is a hit, he sees a day, perhaps several seasons down the road, when its events might directly connect to the events of Alien, le 8ème passager (1979).
The series takes place in 2120, meaning that it's set:
- 27 years after Prometheus (2012), set in 2093.
- 16 years after Alien: Covenant (2017), set in 2104.
- 2 years before Alien, le 8ème passager (1979), set in 2122.
- 17 years before Alien: Isolation (2014), set in 2137.
- 22 years before Alien: Romulus (2024), set in 2142.
- 59 years before Aliens, le retour (1986) and Alien³ (1992), both set in 2179.
- 261 years before Alien, la résurrection (1997), set in 2381.
President of FX Networks, John Landgraf, stated that the story will not feature any characters from the films, including Ellen Ripley. He said, "It's the first story that takes place on Earth. It takes place on our planet."
Timothy Olyphant turned down the role of Hal Jordan in DC Studios' Lanterns (2026) to act in this production. The role went to Sydney Chandler's (Wendy/Marcy) father, Kyle Chandler, of Friday Night Lights (2006) fame.
Though Sir Ridley Scott is a credited producer, Noah Hawley revealed that his involvement was limited, due to his preoccupation with other projects. Hawley said, "In the course of making a single season of television, that 87-year-old man made three or four huge films." Producer David W. Zucker added, "the last thing [Scott is] interested in doing is getting in front of another filmmaker's vision."