Sigourney Weaver Says Walter Hill’s Alien 5 Is a Bold Reinvention

Ripley might not be done after all. Sigourney Weaver says Walter Hill is cooking up a new take on Alien that sounds nothing like the classic blueprint, and she’s actually curious to see where it goes. Yes, this is the same Ripley return that’s been circling for years — but this time, it feels like there’s a real shot.

How we got here

• A decade ago, Neill Blomkamp tried to make an Alien 5 that would pick up after Aliens and basically ignore Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. That fell apart while Ridley Scott focused on his very divisive Alien: Covenant.
• Five years back, long-time franchise producers Walter Hill and David Giler wrote a 50-page treatment for a new Ripley movie. At the time, Weaver told Empire she wasn’t convinced it should happen: 'Maybe Ripley has done her bit. She deserves a rest.'
• Cut to now: at a Q&A at the Cinémathèque Française in Paris (after a screening of the original Alien), Weaver said she’s waiting to see how Hill’s script turns out and teased that it’s 'very different' from the first film.

What Weaver is actually saying

At New York Comic Con, Weaver said Hill had delivered 'a very strong first 50 pages' and called what he’s writing 'quite extraordinary.' She’s been team 'let Ripley rest' for ages, but the angle here is grabbing her.

'It’s about a society who would incarcerate someone who’s tried to help mankind but she’s a problem for them… I don’t know if it’s gonna happen but I have had a meeting with Fox, or Disney or whoever it is now.'

At the Cinémathèque event, she expanded: Hill has written at least 50 pages, maybe more about where Ripley might be now. Weaver says she never particularly wanted to go back, but she likes the idea of Ripley being sidelined by the company, by the world — still Ripley, probably around 200 years old, with the same old problems still out there. And if this happens, do not expect duct-crawling. In her words, it wouldn’t be like what we’ve seen tonight; it would be a very different kind of story.

For what it’s worth, Weaver has already sat down with the studio — her words: 'Fox, or Disney or whoever it is now.' Translation: talks are happening, but nothing’s greenlit.

About Walter Hill (and why this is interesting)

Hill is not some random name parachuting in. He’s been with Alien since day one: producer on every film, story credit on Aliens, and he worked on the Alien 3 screenplay alongside David Giler. Outside the xenomorph sandbox, he directed The Warriors, 48 Hrs., and Streets of Fire. I’ve always wondered why he never directed an Alien himself. He’s 83, Ridley Scott is still going strong at 87 — so hey, never say never.

What happened to Blomkamp’s Alien 5

Weaver says that script was 'wonderful,' but timing killed it. As she tells it, Ridley Scott got very protective of the franchise and dove headfirst into his prequels. That left Blomkamp’s sequel spinning its wheels until it died. She adds that Blomkamp eventually gave up on it, and she wishes him the best — calls him very talented.

Weaver on the new TV side

Weaver also praised the recently aired Alien: Earth series. She called it remarkable, scary in a way that reflects our world, and joked that a future where each tech bro owns a planet doesn’t feel that far off from America right now. Her takeaway: Alien still has legs, and it’s a good time for the franchise.

So, are we actually getting Ripley back?

Maybe. Hill’s writing, Weaver’s engaged, and the studio has taken meetings. The hook — a Ripley the system wants to sideline or even imprison — is a sharp pivot from the usual 'monster in the vents' routine, and Weaver saying it feels true to her is the most promising sign we’ve had in years.

I was all-in on Blomkamp’s alternate-sequel idea, and I’m equally into the notion of Hill and Weaver taking one last swing — especially if it’s as different as she keeps hinting. If this Ripley is 200 years old and still scaring suits more than xenos do, that’s a story I want to see.