As Timothy Olyphant prepares to return to horror and face the Xenomorph terror inAlien: Earth, the actor’s previous foray into the genre is still worth revisiting six years after Netflix axed the show. On the small screen, Olyphant is perhaps best known for playing lawmen, from the Neo-Western figure Raylan Givens in theJustifiedfranchise,Mos Pelgo mashal Cobb VanthinThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett, and Sheriff Seth Bullock inDeadwood. However, the actor’s upcoming role in Noah Hawley’s spinoff of the sci-fi horror franchise is a far cry from these characters.
InAlien: Earth, Olyphant plays the android Kirsh, who is tasked with welcoming a potentially world-shifting lifeform into society as the Prodigy Corporation develops the first successful “Hybrid.“A synthetic that has received a human consciousness, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) is placed into the care of Kirsh,who mentors her as she potentially marks an exciting development in the ever-ongoing race to uncover the secrets of immortality. However, as a Weyland-Yutani vessel crash-lands on Earth, the pair are set to come face to face with the horrifying lifeform.
Alien: Earth Is Timothy Olyphant’s First Horror Show Since Santa Clarita Diet Was Canceled
The Netflix Series Melded Bloody Chaos With Quirky Family Comedy
Before Olyphant faces the Xenomorphs, however, TV viewers may be keen to visit his last turn in live-action horror on TV inSanta Clarita Diet. Created by Victor Fresco for Netflix, the horror-comedy starred Olyphant alongside Drew Barrymore, Liv Hewson, and Skylar Gisondo.InSanta Clarita Diet, happy suburban couple Sheila (Barrymore) and Joel (Olyphant) Hammond have their world turned upside down as Sheila develops zombie-like tendencies,including a desire to consume human flesh.
DID YOU KNOW:Liv Hewson has remained with the horror genre, as their role of Van Palmer inYellowjacketshas thrown them against potentially supernatural entities lurking in the Canadian wilderness.
While Sheila becoming one of the undead gives her a more outgoing, carefree, and impulsive outlook on her existence,Joel and daughter Abby (Hewson) are tasked with keeping things calm and normal on the surface while also providing Sheila with flesh to sustain herself, with neighbor Eric aiding in their efforts thanks to his horror expertise. With each season, the Hammonds have to balance their seemingly ordinary lives and catering to Sheila’s new diet with fending off corrupt cops, undead slayers, and cultists.
Why Netflix Canceled Santa Clarita Diet After 3 Seasons
The Series Fell Victim To The Streamer’s High Standards Of Success
Despite the acclaim thatSanta Clarita Dietreceived throughout its run for its careful balance of creative comedy and bloody gore, the series came to a close with season 3 in 2019,leaving audiences on a shocking cliffhanger. After a bloody evening at the Hammond household, Joel decides he wishes to become an undead to stay with Sheila forever, but is incapacitated before she can turn him. In a last-ditch effort to save him, Sheila bites Joel, but season 3 concludes without revealing if Joel is successfully turned.
While Victor Fresco was editing the third season,the showrunner learned that Netflix had already begun dismantling the sets and was going to decline to renew the series for any additional season (viaavclub.com).The decision to bring the show to a close was attributed to the series' viewership and the level of acclaim not being able to justify the production costs. With over six years passing sinceSanta Clarita Dietwas unceremoniously ended, it is unlikely audiences will ever receivea proper conclusion to the Hammonds’s story.
Timothy Olyphant Should Continue Starring In More Horror Projects After Alien: Earth
Olyphant’s Suspense-Focused Filmography Has Offered Him A Range Of Roles
However,Alien: Earthmay offer Olyphant a new TV horror vehicle that could last for several years.According to Noah Hawley,Alien: Earthhas a multi-season plan, confirming the series has been considered to have the potential for an ongoing narrative. As such, should Kirsh survive his first encounter with a Xenomorph, Olyphant’s character could play a key role inshaping the events leading up to 1979’sAlienmovie.
Alien: Earthis set in 2120, two years before the events of the original movie.
Furthermore, Olyphant has proven plenty of times in the past that he can be versatile within the horror/thriller genre. AlongsideSanta Clarita Diet’s overwhelmed Joel and the various heroes he’s played, he has also dived into the role of unhinged slasher villain Mickey Altieri inScream 2, survivor David inThe Crazies, and suspicious vacationer Nick inA Perfect Getaway. As such, audiences may be hungry to see if he can play any other archetypes within the genre shouldAlien: Earthprove to be a worthy successor toSanta Clarita Diet.
