Sydney Chandler is very excited about her Alien: Earth season 2 return, even if she doesn’t know what the plan is for Wendy and the Lost Boys.
Chandler led the cast of Noah Hawley’s Alien TV installment as Wendy, the first of a unique human-synthetic hybrid created by the Prodigy Corporation, whose consciousness was transferred from a terminally ill young girl named Marcy. The sci-fi horror series followed Wendy and her fellow hybrids, dubbed The Lost Boys, investigating the crash of the deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot and the various creatures within, as well as grappling with the blurred line between humanity and technology.
Now, in honor of the SXSW premiere of the sci-fi road drama Anima, Chandler was asked for an update on Alien: Earth season 2’s production. The star laughed as she began by confessing that “I still don’t know much” about what to expect from season 2’s story, humorously describing herself as being “the annoying person” who is constantly pressing Hawley and the rest of the creative team “can I read something?“
She further shared that Hawley is “fantastic at sharing riddles that you try and puzzle out of,” working to figure out what exactly is being given to her. However, Chandler ultimately expressed that she’s “really excited” about getting back to filming Alien: Earth‘s next season, particularly as they head to “my favorite city in the world” in London to film at Pinewood Studios:
Sydney Chandler: The history there is just incredible. I have no idea where Wendy’s storyline will go. She’s just a really fun character to play, so I’m excited to see where Noah takes her. I trust him, heart and soul, to take us on just another wild journey. His writing is really phenomenal and wonderful to play with. So I’m just excited, I’m really excited.
When asked about her hopes for Wendy and the Lost Boys’ story in Alien: Earth season 2, Chandler began by expressing her hopes to “connect more with the Lost Boys,” given her character was “so solo in season 1.” Describing Wendy as being “her own beast,” the star warmly explained that “I love working with those actors so much” and wants the chance to “play off of them more.”
As for Wendy herself, Chandler is really keen to “explore who she is after the loss of her innocence,” pondering if she will look to “lean into her humanity more” after she and the Lost Boys took over Neverland from Samuel Blenkin’s Boy Kavalier and the other adults, or if she “will go full machine.” Ultimately wanting Wendy to be “put on the back foot“ in order to see “what she will do that,” Chandler concluded that “I have no idea” what Hawley has in store, but “I trust it“:
Sydney Chandler: That cold versus hot, especially at that age, it would be very terrifying. There’s a lot of rage. And then also finding what is her limit to her power? What does scare her? I really want to dive into that to see her afraid, and to see how she would react to that. Especially with the creatures, but also with the adults, to see her put on the back foot, and see what she will do with that, because we end with she’s doing all right. That was fun to film. I was like, “God, she’s so much cooler than me. This is awesome.” So yeah, I have no idea, but I trust it. It’ll be really fun.
Chandler’s uncertainty about Alien: Earth season 2’s proper plan for the show’s characters comes on the heels of executive producer Dana Gonzales indicating that production had either begun, or was gearing up to, with a photo from Pinewood. Considering it’s a bigger franchise project, there is a chance the star was carefully choosing her words on any updates for the new season, particularly given how intense Disney is known to be with protecting the secrets of their properties.
That being said, it is clear that Alien: Earth season 2 is moving along steadily in getting cameras rolling again, which is a very promising sign for fans of the show. It will likely still fall into the modern TV trend of there being a two-year gap between each season’s release, given the show’s practical approach to production, as well as its use of CGI. However, barring another pause in filming due to a strike much in the way season 1 was impacted by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, production on season 2 could wrap by December, giving it a very good chance for a late 2027 premiere.
As for Chandler’s hopes for Wendy and the Lost Boys’ story, the Alien: Earth season 1 ending did leave her character in one of the best positions in her life, with the hybrids and Joe imprisoning Kavalier, Timothy Olyphant’s Kirsh, Essie Davis’ Dame Sylvia, Adrian Edmondson’s Atom and Babou Ceesay’s Morrow in a cell. Moreover, she still had possession of two Xenomorphs under her control, declaring that she and her family were going to “rule” the island from there on.
It is also interesting to note that, to Chandler’s point, Alien: Earth has yet to really show whether Wendy has any kind of fears. Season 1 did showcase some of the fears and emotional blockings of the Lost Boys, particularly Lily Newmark’s Nibs struggling to confront her past trauma, while Adarsh Gourav’s Slightly and Jonathan Ajayi’s Smee offered a more comic relief fear of almost everything they encounter.
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While she may not yet know what’s to come from the character, Chandler may very well get her wish for Wendy to be put on the back foot come Alien: Earth season 2. Season 1 ended with Yutani’s forces descending upon the island, and the Ocellus creature possessing Arthur’s corpse, establishing multiple threats for her to contend with, emotionally and physically. Plus, with Joe and Wendy’s relationship still on rocky ground, Hawley will likely have some deep development for Chandler and Lawler to explore the exact ideas she’s pitching.