Sigourney Weaver hasn’t been in an ‘Alien’ movie since Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s divisive 1997 film. Much to the surprise of many, she is now teasing a potential return to the universe.
At a New York Comic Con “Alien” reunion panel (via EW), Weaver revealed that longtime friend and filmmaker, the great Walter Hill, has penned 50 pages imagining Ripley’s life now—and according to Weaver, it’s “quite extraordinary.”
“I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I have had a meeting with Fox or Disney. I’ve never felt the need [to reprise the role]. I was always like, ‘Let her rest, let her recover.’ What Walter has written seems so true to me, as very much about the society that would incarcerate someone who has tried to help mankind, but she’s a problem to them, so she’s sort of tucked away.”
In other words, this wouldn’t be a cash grab—especially with Hill having written the script. Weaver hinted she may collaborate with Hill to flesh out the rest of the story, and frankly, the prospect of seeing Ripley navigate a society that fears her heroism is better than almost any Alien idea we’ve gotten on-screen in decades.
Meanwhile, the Alien universe continues to expand. FX’s “Alien: Earth” recently aired its acclaimed first season, and there’s a ‘Romulus’ sequel in the works—this time without original filmmaker Fede Álvarez.
Speaking of directors, I would imagine Ridley Scott would ponder a return to helm another installment if Ripley comes back. Wouldn’t you think? Then again, he’s 87 years old and seems more interested in “Gladiator 3” than anything else these days.
This reminds me of Neill Blomkamp’s cancelled ‘Alien’ movie, often referred to as ‘Alien 5,’ which was intended as a direct sequel to James Cameron’s “Aliens,” effectively ignoring “Alien 3” and ‘Resurrection.’ The film would have brought back Weaver as Ripley and Michael Biehn as Hicks, reuniting them in a story that explored the aftermath of “Aliens,” possibly involving an older version of Newt. Despite strong fan interest, the project was shelved after Ridley Scott decided to focus on his own prequel series (Prometheus, Alien: Covenant).
Ever since Weaver’s final appearance in Jeunet’s “Alien: Resurrection,” there have been three additional standalone films released in the franchise: “Prometheus,” “Alien: Covenant,” and “Alien: Romulus.” None have come close to the brilliance of the first two, although I do find “Prometheus” to be underrated—and yes, I know I’m in the minority on that one.