The Two Different Unmade Versions of Alien 5 & Ripley’s Return Get Updates From Sigourney Weaver

Both the Alien and Predator franchises have recently experienced resurgences in popularity, leading fans to wonder what could come next. While both brands have found success paving new paths, there remains interest in revisiting the past. With regard to Predator, Dan Trachtenberg has detailed conversations he’s had with Arnold Schwarzenegger about possibly returning in a new installment. On the Alien front, there was a previous attempt to bring franchise icon Sigourney Weaver back to the fold, and now there’s another one in the works. Though nothing has officially been given the green light yet, Weaver herself is openly discussing these projects.

At the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, Weaver hosted a masterclass following a screening of Alien. During that, she talked about unrealized projects in the Alien universe. First was Neill Blomkamp’s planned Aliens sequel that would have retconned the events of Alien 3. “It was a wonderful script and unfortunately, it was at that point I think that Ridley Scott decided to be very possessive about the series and really drilled down on his prequels,” Weaver said. “And so I think it was a disaster for that project. We were never able to … I think Neil in fact just gave up and he’s so talented. I wish him all the best.”

Weaver then shifted gears to speak about Walter Hill’s treatment for a new Alien movie starring an older Ripley. “Actually, Walter Hill has written about 50 pages. Maybe, by now, he’s written more about where Ripley might be now,” she said. “And although I’ve never particularly wanted to go back to the series, there’s something about her experience being sidelined now, probably by this society, by this company, by this world and being probably around 200 years old, but still Ripley and you know, presumably these problems still out there. So I’m going to see what happens with Walter’s script … It would be a very different kind of story.”

If Ripley Returns, Alien Should Take Cues From Predator

The prospect of Weaver returning to play Ripley once more in an Alien movie is exciting, but it’s also a risky proposition. Too often, franchises can be guilty of leaning too heavily on fan service, tapping into nostalgia as opposed to taking things in a new direction. Despite recent successes, Alien has fallen into that trap itself. There were some questionable moments in Romulus, ranging from the strange Aliens callback to the morally dubious decision to use CGI to recreate the likeness of the late Ian Holm. If a Ripley return truly is in the cards, Alien should take a look at its shared universe counterpart and take notes on execution.

Trachtenberg brought the Predator franchise back from the dead by thinking outside the box and experimenting with fresh ideas. After pitting a Comanche warrior against a Yautja and helming an animated anthology film that spanned multiple time periods, Trachtenberg made his boldest change to the Predator formula yet with this fall’s Predator: Badlands, which marks the first time a Yautja is the protagonist. As seen by Badlands‘ record-breaking box office and positive reviews, people responded well to this expansion of the mythos, highlighting the value in doing something different with established brands. Trachtenberg’s Predator films have resonated as much as they have because they feel fresh.

Read Next

3 Unique Xenomorphs the Alien Franchise Hasn’t Included in the Movies (Even Though They’re Canon)

Fortunately, it sounds like Weaver’s potential return to Alien wouldn’t retread old ground. As the actress herself notes, the film would tell “a very different kind of story,” which is exactly what these legacy properties need in order to stay relevant decades after their debut. Audiences have already seen Ripley run through air shafts and go head to head with xenomorphs. Picking the character’s story up years later and show her at a different stage in life, facing a new set of challenges, would help the new movie stand out. It could also give Weaver an opportunity to flex her dramatic chops. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Aliens, so she’s definitely more than capable of carrying a character-driven narrative on her shoulders.

It’s also encouraging that Weaver is taking the “wait and see” approach before committing to a return. She wants to see how Hill’s script develops before making a decision, indicating quality is what’s most important to her. It would be a shame if Weaver made her highly anticipated Alien comeback only for the film to underwhelm. The franchise is in a strong place right now and should look to maintain its forward momentum. It’s a great sign that Weaver seems to like Hill’s first 50 pages, and hopefully she enjoys reading what he came up with after that. Perhaps the stage could be set for Schwarzenegger’s Dutch and Ripley to team up in an Alien vs. Predator crossover event.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!