Alien Star Sigourney Weaver Shoots Down Hopes of Franchise Return

Today we got a first look at the new Alien movie that director Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead 2013) is making, but longtime fans of the franchise shouldn't hold their breath hoping to see Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley make a return – because apparently there's no real chance of that happening. 

Sigourney Weaver did an interview with Total Film magazine where the point was raised that actors like Harrison Ford are reprising iconic roles like Indiana Jones late in their careers. So, would Weaver be interested in doing the same with Alien and Ellen Ripley? 

In a word: nope.

"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," Weaver said to Total Film. "I'm very happy doing what I'm doing. I put in my time in space!"

Weaver last appeared in the Alien franchise in Alien Ressurection in 1997, and stayed away from the franchise for years thereafter, with the exception of one recent missed opportunity... 

Indeed, there was a time not too long ago (in the 'before times' prior to the COVID pandemic) where it looked like the Alien franchise was going to split into multiple film franchises. During the mid-2010s, District 9 filmmaker Neill Blomkamp managed to get the ball rolling on Alien 5 (or 'Alien: Awakening'), a direct sequel that would come after Aliens and retcon the later sequels (Alien 3, Alien Resurrection). That project was promising enough that it got both Sigourney Weaver and her Aliens co-star Michael Biehn involved. 

Alien 5 stalled – in large part due to Ridley Scott's insistence on taking the franchise into a third prequel, following Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. When Covenant underperformed in theaters, Scott's plans for the franchise went down the drain. James Cameron seemed poised to help Weaver push it forward (around 2019), but after the chaos of the pandemic, a franchise reboot film from Fede Alvarez ultimately got the green light. 

Currently, the Alien franchise is still in a state of big expansion. In addition to Alvarez's reboot film, Marvel has been running an Alien comic book anthology, with a new storyline every year – including one for 2023 that just dropped today (at the time of writing this). Fargo TV series showrunner Noah Hawley is also developing an Alien TV series that has a unique take on the lore. 

But... none of the above will have Sigourney Weaver involved. 

The Alien movie reboot is currently shooting.