Sigourney Weaver Met With Studio About Ripley’s Return, Teases “Extraordinary” ALIEN Idea
The last time we saw Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley on screen with in the 1997 film Alien: Resurrection, Weaver just gave fans new hope that the iconic character might not be finished fighting xenomorphs after all.
During a special Alien reunion panel at New York Comic Con, Weaver revealed that she recently met with studio executives about the possibility of returning to the franchise.
The actress explained that Alien producer Walter Hill has already written a fresh take on Ripley’s story, and it sounds like it could be something cool! Weaver said during a conversation moderated by Josh Horowitz:
“[Alien producer] Walter Hill is a very good friend of mine, and he wrote 50 pages of where Ripley would be now, and they’re 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.
“I think it’s a very strong first 50 pages. I’m thinking about working with Walter to see what the rest of the story would be.”
That’s an incredibly exciting tease! It sounds like Hill’s idea tackles more than just alien creatures and mayhem, it digs into what Ripley represents in a world that’s always been quick to exploit and discard her.
The panel also delivered a surprise when Weaver was joined by Veronica Cartwright, who played Joan Lambert in Ridley Scott’s original 1979 classic.
The two reflected on the movie’s enduring impact and how Alien initially shocked audiences who had no idea what they were in for. Cartwright said:
“They didn’t give [the cast] a premiere. I went down to the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood and saw it by myself, and when the chestburster [scene] happened, people were getting up out of their seats and leaving the theater. Nobody had seen anything like it. It was really super impressive.”
Over four decades later, the Alien legacy continues to evolve. FX recently wrapped the first season of Alien: Earth, Noah Hawley’s small-screen expansion of the universe, and fans are still hungry for more Ripley.
While we wait to see if Weaver’s meeting with the studio leads to Ripley’s long-awaited return, the actress isn’t slowing down. She’s already set to appear in next summer’s Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu, which means she’s trading one kind of alien for another.
If Walter Hill’s script really is as “extraordinary” as Weaver says, I would love to see it get made, we might not have seen the last of Ellen Ripley just yet.
Via: Variety