Back in October, Sigourney Weaver revealed that she had met with Disney about possibly returning to the role of Ellen Ripley for a fifth time, marking the first instance of her stepping into the shoes of the character since Alien: Resurrection all the way back in 1997. In fact, she said there were already 50 pages of a script written by none other than Walter Hill, who served as a producer (and uncredited contributor to the screenplay) of Alien, contributed to the story of Aliens, and wrote and produced Alien 3. And, since then, not much has been said of the project. Until now, that is.
Weaver spoke with Variety about a potential return to Ripley while promoting Avatar: Fire and Ash. And, while nothing is concrete, it should prove to be positive news for fans of the Xenomorph franchise.
What Did Weaver Say About Potentially Returning to the Role of Ellen Ripley?
image courtesy of 20th century studios
Weaver was asked if she was looking forward to returning to Alien, to which she said, “You know, we’re just taking it one step at a time. It is very interesting, and I hope we do it, because I think it will be wonderful. I think the fans will enjoy it, but it’s very early days.”
Naturally, when celebrities are talking about potential returns to top-tier IPs, they have to remain tight lipped and cagey. And, to a degree, that’s what Weaver’s response is. But it does reveal that she herself is all in on starring in another Alien movie. Considering it’s been nearly 30 years since she last played Ripley one might have assumed that she’d put it behind her, but it sounds like were the right script to come along (which appears to be exactly the case) she would be willing to fight the Xenomorphs once more.
Considering we’re now in an era that can’t get enough of legacy sequels, it certainly appears that all the puzzle pieces are in place to get another Ripley-focused movie. She’s in, the industry is into legacy sequels, and both Alien: Romulus and Predator: Badlands showed themselves to be profitable ventures.
Romulus and Alien: Earth (which was recently renewed for a sophomore season) proved that there’s still enthusiasm and interest for the franchise in general. If you throw Weaver back into the mix, there’s only an added level of excitement. It could be a major win for Disney.
We’ll keep you informed of further developments on another potential Weaver fronted Alien movie as they become available, but for now it’s just nice to have some good news on this front. Alien: Resurrection always seemed like a disappointing place to leave such an iconic character.
Would you buy a ticket to another Alien movie if Weaver’s name were on the poster? Let us know in the comments.