Alien Earth Xenomorph FX

ALIEN: EARTH’s Noah Hawley and Samuel Blenki Talk Lore, Humanity, Sci-Fi Influences, and More

Originally posted on Nerdist | By Michael Walsh | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 2:54 PM ET

When Alien: Earth debuts it will bring one of Hollywood’s most important sci-fi horror franchises to the small screen. It will also arrive with monster expectations and a loyal fanbase. Those are the kinds of burdens many creators would find too intimidating. So no surprise Noah Hawley is the one who embraced that challenge. The creator of FX’s Fargo and Legion does not shy away from beloved properties. But this time he’s working in a cinematic universe built on the iconic line, “In space no one can hear you scream.” How did he approach bringing that horror to our world? And what other science fiction stories influenced his new tale of Xenomorph terror? Those were just some of the things Nerdist‘s Dan Casey asked him and Alien: Earth star Samuel Blenki about at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

During this year’s premier pop culture party we sat down with Alien: Earth showrunner Noah Hawley and star Samuel Blenki. They talked to us about their own experiences with Xenmorphs and the other inspirations behind their upcoming FX series. The Blade Runner influences might not surprise you. But we’ll bet you weren’t expecting to hear so much Peter Pan talk.

Hawley also noted the series will change the stakes of a typical Alien story. They are usually about the survival of just a few humans. His series is about the survival of humanity itself. Or rather, it’s about the question “does humanity deserve to survive.” He also talked about how the series touches on transhumanism, mankind’s focus on profit, and the very question of what it means to be human.

Blenki also talked about playing Boy Kavalier and how a truly iconic character from The Twilight Zone helped him understand his character.

Beyond their own histories with the series and the stories that shaped their own, Hawley and Blenki also told Dan about the show’s incredible production. Working on those amazing sets was exactly as as much fun as it seems. And they also shared the things they nerd out about.

Pretty soon we’ll all ne nerding out about Alien: Earth together. It debuts at FX on August 12.

This article first appeared on Nerdist and was syndicated with permission.

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