The FX drama series takes place in Prodigy City in 2120 — that's two years before the events of the influential first Alien film.

This project has been in the oven for several years, and the final result feels anything but rushed or weightless because Hawley and his collaborators had a grip on the TV format and the story they wanted to tell.

"Alien: Earth," premiering Aug. 12 on FX and streaming on Hulu, delivers on the "Alien" movie franchise while exploring compelling questions of its own.