Alien Day
Host a movie marathon, read a graphic novel, or break out the Alien video games to honor Ridley Scott’s iconic and beloved science fiction franchise.
Alien day is an awesome day to recognize and appreciate the fantastic world of the Alien(s) franchise. Beginning with the first film released in 1979 and spanning more than 40 years since, Alien (including the many films, books and games) has been an intense, unique and fascinating look into the question of whether other life exists in the universe.
Whether or not life exists elsewhere is exactly the kind of question that should be asked on Alien Day!
History of Alien Day
Alien Day was created by a Sci-Fi subculture of people who wanted to honor not only the Alien film series. The first “unofficial” Alien Day was celebrated in the spring of 2015 by a group of folks in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
The choice of the date itself holds meaning: 4/26 refers to the designation of the moon in the 1st Alien film: LV-426 is the name of the moon where the xenomorphs are discovered in the 1979 film by Ridley Scott.
Beginning in 2016, Alien Day commenced as a more official celebration when the maker of the Alien movies, 20th Century Fox, got involved with sponsoring events for the day. One of the events for that year was a trivia challenge that lasted an entire 24 hours. From midnight to midnight, Alien trivia questions were posted on Twitter every 42.6 minutes (a total of 35 questions) and prizes included collectibles and wearables related to the film.
2016 was a particularly important year because it was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the release of Alien’s sequel, Aliens. However, rather than taking place on the exact day of Aliens’ release, the date was instead a reference to the planetoid on which the film is set — LV-426 (otherwise known as 4/26).
The idea of and hope for Alien Day is that more people around the world can learn about this great day and celebrate the wonderful world of Alien(s). And that continues to come true as Alien Day is now acknowledged and enjoyed by Sci-Fi fans all over the world!
How to Celebrate Alien Day
For fans of the franchise, enjoying this day can be fairly simple or super extreme, depending on preference. Try some of these ideas:
Host an Alien Movie Marathon
With six different films in the franchise, watching them all sequentially could certainly take most of the day! But diehard Alien fans won’t mind! Watch the films in this order:
- Alien (1976). Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, this classic sci-fi horror film has certainly gained a cult following.
- Aliens (1986). Reprising her role as Ripley, Sigourney Weaver is the sole survivor of the alien attack on her ship. This is considered by some as one of the best sequel films ever made.
- Alien3 (1992). Again, with Weaver’s character as the sole survivor (along with alien life), she must try to survive.
- Alien Resurrection (1997). Set 200 years into the future from the time the last film ended, this time Weaver is joined by Winona Ryder.
- Prometheus (2012). A 15 year gap between these two films was a very long wait! This prequel stars Noomi Rapace and Charleze Theron, centering on the idea of finding the origins of humanity.
- Alien: Covenant (2017). Another prequel, again with Michael Fassbender (who was also in Promethus) who plays an android.
Read Alien Books or Graphic Novels
Alien is more than just a series of films! It incorporates a whole host of written and illustrated books that provide even more interest and entertainment in the world of Alien. Many times, special releases of novels and comic books have been coordinated to align with Alien Day. So check out the local bookstore to see what new releases are available!
Play an Alien Video Game
Fans with a computer or mobile device can download Alien video games to their heart’s content! Beginning in 1982 (on that classic Atari game player, no less), the Alien brand began releasing its video games and has been continuing for many years.
Since then, they’ve also been playable on PC, XBox, Playstation, Gameboy and now mobile phones. The most recent video game in the franchise is Alien: Blackout, which was given away for free on Alien Day 2020!
Grab one at a local game shop or download it online to get started!
Alien Day FAQs
Why is Alien Day on April 26?
Alien Day is held on 4/26 in a nod to LV-426, the name of the moon where the aliens were first discovered in the 1979 Ridley Scott film.
How are the Alien and Predator films related?
The spinoff film series, Predator, began in 1987, eight years after the release of the original Alien film and just a year following the second film. These two worlds originally met in a 1989 comic book series, Aliens vs. Predators, published by Dark Horse Comics.
The crossover films didn’t come out until more than a decade later, with Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). None of the plots from the original Alien series references these crossovers.
What is the film Alien about?
In the future, a space crew responds to a distress call on a remote moon named LV-426. The crew discovers some strange eggs and when one attaches itself to a crew member it eventually births the Xenomorph, a horrific and terrifying creature that is set for destruction.
Who directed each film in the Alien franchise?
With different directors for each film (except for the original director, Ridley Scott, who directed three), the Alien franchise creates an interesting look into what different directors choose to do with a story theme. Here’s a list of the directors that correlate with each film:
- Alien (1979): Ridley Scott
- Aliens (1986): James Cameron
- Alien 3 (1992): David Fincher
- Alien: Resurrection (1997): Jean-Pierre Jeunet
- Alien vs. Predator (2004): Paul W.S. Anderson
- Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007): Colin and Greg Strause
- Prometheus (2012): Ridley Scott
- Alien: Covenant (2017): Ridley Scott
What order should I watch the Alien movies in?
Of course, watching them in the order they were released makes perfect sense. However, since the Alien films tend to go back in time, it’s also fun to watch them in the actual order in which they occurred in this fictional universe:
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien (1979)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
This, of course, doesn’t include the Alien vs. Predator spinoffs, which adds a whole other element to the story.
