![\"Sigourney](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sigourney-Weaver-Actor-Alien-1979-Far-Out-Magazine-F-1140x855.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
(Credits: Far Out \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n
Sun 1 March 2026 4:30, UK <\/p>\n
When the great history of science fiction at the movies is finally written, there will be an entire chapter dedicated to Sigourney Weaver<\/a>, whose impact on the genre, from Ghostbusters to Avatar to her upcoming appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu, has been undeniable. <\/p>\n As Ellen Ripley, the protagonist of Ridley Scott\u2019s Alien, she became one of the first leading ladies of the genre, a role which evolved into a full-blown action hero (and I use that word specifically) with James Cameron\u2019s Aliens seven years later, but one sci-fi movie on Weaver\u2019s CV that\u2019s easy to overlook is 2015\u2019s Chappie. <\/p>\n Directed by Neill Blomkamp, the movie serves as the finale of an unofficial trilogy also including District 9 and Elysium. It\u2019s about a super-intelligent law enforcement robot (voiced by Sharlto Copley) who falls into the hands of a group of gangsters, and finds Weaver plays Michelle Bradley, the CEO of the company that made Chappie. <\/p>\n In spite of its heritage and strong cast, with the film also featuring Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, and the band Die Antwoord, everything about Chappie was a disappointment. Critically and financially, it didn\u2019t stack up to Blomkamp\u2019s previous efforts<\/a>, and reviewers felt that the South African filmmaker had finally reached the end of the road. The movie was full of big ideas, but none of them reached their potential; at least Blomkamp had some support from within his own ranks. <\/p>\n During a panel event at New York Comic Con, Weaver spoke very highly of the director, saying that she enjoyed her time on Chappie so much that she had considered returning to the Alien franchise with Blomkamp helming a new instalment<\/a>. That never happened, of course, with the former\u2019s low scores a potential reason, but this sparked a passionate defence of the movie from its star, who believes that critics don\u2019t know what they\u2019re doing when it comes to sci-fi. <\/p>\n \u201cThey were still, and maybe they still are, evaluating science-fiction films based on their special effects,\u201d she said<\/a>. \u201cChappie\u2019s just a real story about a robot who wants to be a real boy like Pinocchio. And so they completely misunderstood it and, I think, underestimated it.\u201d<\/p>\n