Noah Hawley is bringing his "own thoughts" to the Xenomorph's design in the new Alien TV show, but is keeping one iconic element intact

For decades, Alien's iconic Xenomorph has terrified moviegoers and has – largely – looked the same since it first stepped out of the shadows in the original 1979 classic. 

Its leap to the small screen in the Alien TV show, however, is seemingly leading to some tweaks from its iconic design, but series creator Noah Hawley insists one "sacrosanct" element will be left alone.

"There’s something about seeing a Xenomorph in the wilds of Earth with your own eyes," Hawley teased to Deadline about the creature's arrival in the aptly named Alien: Earth. "That is truly chilling to think of it moving here among us, and so I can’t tell you under what circumstances you’ll see that, but you’ll see it – and you’re going to lock your door that night."

While Hawley doesn't go into detail about the look of the Xenomorph, he discusses what will stay the same and, crucially, what will be different about the FX series' titular Alien.

"What was really fun for me was to really engage with the creature, bring some of my own thoughts to the design while not touching the silhouette, because that’s sacrosanct," Hawley explained.

Hawley added, "But some of the elements as we know, whatever the host is, informs what the final creature is. I just wanted to play around a little bit to make it as scary as it should be."

Alien: Earth, which takes place 30 years prior to the original Alien, is set to premiere in 2025. As per the synopsis, it stars Sydney Chandler as a young woman who makes a "fateful discovery" that puts her on a collision course with the "planet's greatest threat." The cast also features Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, and Timothy Olyphant.

The latest entry in the franchise, the Fede Alvarez-directed Alien: Romulus, is currently playing in theaters. For more, check out our guides on the Alien: Romulus ending and how to watch the Alien movies in order.