The Big Picture
- The Alien franchise is set to expand with its first-ever live-action series, featuring Kit Young among the cast.
- Filming is currently halted due to actors strike.
- Noah Hawley will take the reins as showrunner, with Ridley Scott onboard as producer.
As part of the latest efforts to expand the sci-fi franchise which began with Ridley Scott‘s 1979 Alien, it was announced in December 2020 that the long-running film series will be getting its first-ever live-action series, courtesy of FX. Putting together the acting talent for the upcoming Alien series has seen Shadow and Bone star Kit Young cast in the TV show.
Per Deadline, alongside Young’s casting announcement, filming on the Alien series has been halted due to the ongoing actors strike with the cast, who had been filming in Thailand, sent home. All scripts needed for the upcoming series were completed prior to the commencement of the writers strike back in May. The production schedule for the series has been adjusted to account for the strike, and crew members are still working, with sets prepared for when production resumes in the event of a resolution.
Initially, production on the Alien series began on July 19, at a time when the actors strike had taken effect. Sydney Chandler, a member of the cast and the SAG-AFTRA, has not taken part in filming in solidarity. The Alien series is an Equity production, and as such the rest of the cast who are mainly governed by the British trade union weren’t permitted to go on strike in solidarity with their American counterparts. According to Deadline, there was a risk of being sued for doing so; which is why shows like HBO’s House of the Dragon has continued filming throughout the strike as well, with a majority of its cast affiliated to Equity.
The Cast of FX’s Alien Series
When production resumes on Alien, Noah Hawley, known for his work on Fargo and Legion, will return to his showrunner duties, and original Alien director, Scott, serving as a producer. The Alien ensemble of Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World), Samuel Blenkin (Black Mirror), Essie Davis (The Babadook), and Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger) will be joining Young to bring the first Alien story set on Earth to life. Young can be seen in Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil, playing the founders of the titular school, twins Rafal and Rhian. He will next star in The Beautiful Game alongside Bill Nighy.
Check out the trailer for the second season of Young’s Shadow and Bone:
