One of the many fan-based holidays that’s celebrated on an annual basis is April 26th, a date more commonly known as Alien Day. Commemorating the world that started with Ridley Scott’s 1979 blockbuster sci-fi movie, it’s also a celebration of Sigourney Weaver and her iconic role as Ellen Ripley. This year is a little special when it comes to the legacy of this space-bound icon, as Weaver explained why the “ship has sailed” on her ever playing that role again.
Our sibling publication Total Film sat down with Weaver in a discussion that yielded the reasoning why she’s through with her days fighting off Xenomorphs. Sadly, a little more salt is added to the wound, as the Avatar franchise star revealed the one Alien project that she would have been game for an appearance:
There are all kinds of younger actors taking this kind of role. And there was an Alien [film] that I really wanted to do with Neill Blomkamp and we didn’t get to do that, but, you know, that ship has sailed. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing. I put in my time in space!
If you needed any more reason to be angry that Neil Blomkamp’s Alien 5 died in development, this Alien Day is a special one for you. In a movie that aimed to not only restore Hicks and Newt to the land of the living, but also bring Sigourney Weaver back to the terrifying saga that saw her as its lead for four films, the proposed sequel was set to give fans everything they supposedly wanted.
Of course, a choice had to be made among the top brass at 20th Century Studios, and Ridley Scott’s underrated Alien: Covenant was already in the works. Not even the fact that James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver loved Blomkamp’s idea could change the tide, and history wound up delivering the result you can see today. As a staunch fan of that particular story, as well as Scott’s prequel saga in general, I can’t say that living in a world where Covenant exists is a bad thing.
And yet, I’m of the mind that both movies could have coexisted, hypothetically giving Alien fans more of a good thing. Much like Neill Blomkamp’s aborted Robocop legacy-quel, his Alien 5 concept will live on as one of those prospects that fans would love to get their hands on. Any sorts of treatments and/or concept art for those two movies alone would be such a hot topic, were they ever to circulate among the respective fandoms.
If there was a contest about which one would spark the greater interest, Sigourney Weaver’s new remarks would undoubtedly be the deciding factor. Honestly, who doesn’t want to read Ellen Ripley’s potential last battle against her extraterrestrial arch-nemesis after knowing that it was so good it would have given us one more round of Weaver magic?
Maybe if the stars align and the same sort of attitude that brought multiple discarded drafts of Alien 3 to life, Ripley could return in an audio drama/novelization that puts this story to rest once and for all. Provided Neill Blomkamp were allowed to make that so, that could be the key to one more chance to get Sigourney Weaver into a proper farewell to that beloved character.
For now, we may have to say goodbye to the chances of Ellen Ripley's return, but the esteemed actor who made her famous is still very much at work. You can currently see Ms. Weaver in Avatar: The Way of Water, which is currently available for rental and purchase on all major digital platforms; and she’s already filmed her role as Kiri for Avatar 3 and 4. Meanwhile, a new non-Ripley Alien movie is currently in production, and is slated to debut as a Hulu exclusive at an undisclosed point in the near future.
