Sigourney Weaver signaled she may not be done with Ellen Ripley, telling a New York Comic Con audience on October 10 that she “had a meeting” with the studio about a new Alien film and has read 50 pages from a sequel idea written by longtime collaborator Walter Hill. She called the pages “quite extraordinary,” stressing that the concept would be “a very different kind of Alien,” more character-driven than corridor-chasing, while assuring fans “the alien does show up.” For years, Weaver maintained that Ripley should be left to rest, with the notable exception of entertaining a previous, unrealized take; her remarks mark the clearest public opening toward a return since 1997.
Weaver described Hill’s pages as true to Ripley’s voice and rooted in present-tense themes, including how systems treat those who try to help. She added that the conversations are exploratory and that no deal is in place. Reporting from the same event indicated the project is in development at the studio, though no casting or timetable was announced. The actress last portrayed Ripley on screen in Alien: Resurrection; later voice and likeness work included the video game Alien: Isolation.
The renewed possibility of Ripley returning comes as the franchise enjoys fresh visibility. Last year’s theatrical installment Alien: Romulus earned about $350.7 million worldwide on an $80 million budget, reaffirming audience appetite for the property in cinemas. Meanwhile, the television series Alien: Earth has been rolling out weekly, with Weaver recently praising its scale and ideas and joking she won’t watch it alone. Together, the box-office performance and small-screen momentum form a favorable backdrop for discussions about another Ripley story, even as creative details remain under wraps.
