When will the rumored Alien vs Predator Anime see the light of day?

Whispers of an Alien vs Predator anime have been doing the rounds since early last year. But the latest information to be leaked by industry insiders suggests that it is at a far more advanced stage than anyone suspected. The Perfect Organism Podcast came close to breaking the internet with reports that 20th Century Fox has actually completed production of the series – in fact, it has allegedly been ready to go since the middle of 2019.   

Under the current circumstances, a new Alien vs Predator product, whether it is live action, anime, video game or even a board game would be especially welcome. So why have we heard nothing about when and where we can see it? The problem seems to be that the planned release on Netflix was frozen when the $71 billion Disney / Fox merger became a reality last year.  

Fan frustration

It’s been a while since the last release in the Alien and Predator universe. When The Predator finally arrived on the big screen in 2018, many fans were disappointed by the focus on cheap jokes instead of taking the franchise in any new direction. Since then, we have seen a handful of new releases in the gaming genre, including the recent Predator: Hunting Grounds on PS4 and the atmospheric Aliens slot game that is available across a range of platforms and online casino sites. 

All of these provide a certain amount of distraction, but a whole new Alien vs Predator series that we could stream on demand? Surely now would be the perfect moment to release it. The fact that it exists but has disappeared into some sort of limbo due to the media giants being unable to work out a way to get it out to the fans is doubly frustrating.

What is it about?

Given that the series is allegedly ready to roll, details of the plot and setting are surprisingly sketchy. The best information available suggests that the series will draw on existing lore, but will tell new stories, so will be more than a rehash of the movies. 

Reports leaked at early stages in the anime’s development hinted that the series would expand on the adventures of Olivia Shipp from the novel Alien: Echo. It was suggested back then that the aminated series would reintroduce us to an older Olivia, now a retired General with a backstory of her own, who must face the alien threat one last time.

However, there is every possibility that Fox chose to take the anime in a different direction and the “General Shipp” storyline remains to be explored in another project. If you think back to 2004 and the original Alien vs Predator, you will recall Alexa Woods’ discovery that in ages past, the Yautja had been involved in multiple Xenomorph hunts, doing battle in a vast pyramid. Any one of these encounters could provide a launchpad for the new series.

When will we see it? 

The most important question is also the hardest one to answer. It is probable that the series will ultimately see the light of day on Netflix, but given that the platform has yet to even tease us with a trailer, there are no clues as to timing. 

One glimmer of hope, however, is that this is the sort of series that would market itself, so it might be released at short notice and to very little fanfare.