Alien & Predator Watch Order: Release vs In-Universe (2026)

Alien / Predator · Updated Sep 14, 2026

Two franchises that share a universe but are best watched as their own tracks, with the crossover films treated as an optional side branch. Release order is the safer recommendation here — the Alien prequels (Prometheus, Covenant) were made after the originals and are structured to reward already knowing where the story ends up.

Alien — release order

1.
Alien (1979) — TMDB 348
2.
Aliens (1986) — TMDB 679
3.
Alien 3 (1992) — TMDB 8077
4.
Alien: Resurrection (1997) — TMDB 8078
5.
Prometheus (2012) — TMDB 70981
6.
Alien: Covenant (2017) — TMDB 126889
7.
Alien: Romulus (2024) — TMDB 945961 (set between Covenant and Alien)

Predator — release order

1.
Predator (1987) — TMDB 106
2.
Predator 2 (1990) — TMDB 169
3.
Predators (2010) — TMDB 34851
4.
The Predator (2018) — TMDB 346910
5.
Prey (2022) — TMDB 766507 (prequel, set in 1719 — chronologically first in the Predator timeline)

Crossovers (optional side branch, not essential to either track)

•
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) — TMDB 395
•
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) — TMDB 440

Where to start if you only have a weekend

Alien → Aliens is the essential pair — a horror film followed by an action film, both regarded as genre high points, and everything else in the franchise is in conversation with these two.

SOURCES

• themoviedb.org (film IDs, cross-checked 2026-09-14)

• 20thcenturystudios.com

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