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Sigourney Weaver and Ridley Scott Considering More Ellen Ripley?

by Alex Billington
December 8, 2008
Source: MTV

The science fiction genre has been rather skimpy as of late, with lackluster films like The Day the Earth Stood Still leading the pack. In the Aliens universe, garbage like Aliens vs Predator: Requiem has killed the franchise and left no hope for revival. Well, unless Sigourney Weaver and Ridley Scott return. MTV actually talked with Weaver recently and got some very interesting news out of her. Apparently Scott and her have been talking about making a fifth Aliens movie. "Both of us feel a kind of commitment to that woman. He’s as much responsible for who she is as I am," she began. "We'd have to go back to the drawing board on [the alien]. Ridley said that right away when we first talked about [a fifth film]." A fifth film?!

Weaver was quickly questioned further about what they've been talking about, but would only mention some very vague details. "What we're interested in is taking the character of Ripley and seeing what other science fiction story we can tell about someone who has lived several lives." As MTV says, this means we're looking more at something like Chronicles of Ripley and not necessarily Aliens 5, with a focus more on the character of Ellen Ripley and less on the aliens, since that franchise (and its creatures) has unquestionably burned itself out. And why not take her to a new universe with some new creepy alien?

Weaver wonders "whether there's unchartered territory for a creature who's become somewhat debased by this computer generated thing. I haven't seen [Alien vs Predator] but I just think if you overexpose the creature, that's a mistake." While the creatures in the latest AVP weren't entirely CGI, I think she and Ridley Scott are correctly thinking about a way to completely reboot this franchise, instead of still working with something that has been left for dead. I don't think I need to reiterate that Weaver and Scott are the two who created this franchise and it would be a dream to see them breathe new life into it again some 30 years after the original. I know I still want to see more Ellen Ripley mayhem! How about you?

Explore tags: Movie News, Opinions

Pedro Lopes

Well! Ripley is the ultimate female badass! I guess that a new wave or a new sci-fi story based with Ripley and Scott could be very interesting and has a lot of potential to start a new sci-fi-terror franchise!
nelson

sunshine besides superhero villain esque ending was the best sci fi film to come out in recent memory
Dan

I have total faith that they can come up with a new gripping story. Ive always loved the alien franchise a little more than predator. although aliens 3 sucked. but id love to see Ripley kicking ass again. hopefully she wont be needing Depends on her journey.
Hauitzer

Only Ripley can save us from bad scifi!!
Shikaka

Meh, James Cameron was more responsible for the success of the Alien franchise than Scott imo, the original is pretty forgettable but I can watch Aliens over and over. I personally don't find Ripley to be an overly interesting character and if bringing her back means more rolleyes plotlines like Alien 4, then count me out. Certainly not vital to the success of the franchise. Aliens was great because it was a team of space marines with future-tech weaponry fighting a formidable opponent. All the characters were well developed and you really gave a shit when they died, especially Hicks and Vasquez and kind of Bishop. It was the ensemble and the awesome direction that made that movie the best of the 4. Different lead characters could have worked just as well.
dan

NO MORE ALIENS MOVIES!! why not something new?
Scott McHenry

I always thought these were pretty stupid myself
Darunia

I think those who started it should be the ones to finish it.
http://www.entertainmenttodayandbeyond.com entertainmenttodayandbeyond.com

James Cameron's Aliens was a masterpiece! Anything after it can only be subpar! Chuck
Mike McRorey

I loved the original with Ridley Scott, I was too young to see it in the theaters though. I did sit in the front row to see Aliens and that movie was freaking awesome. I have loved Sigourney forever and would LOVE to see the Ripley character in something else besides Alien X. The idea of a Chronicles of Ripley sounds very interesting.
cyn

i agree. More Ripley sans Aliens is fine by me. I miss seeing Sigourney in scifi.
rockinrors

I hope they do the idea for Aliens 3 (Wooden Earth). That would be fantastic! (If you want to know of it get the Australian Empire January 2009)!
adamsweet

a fifth alien movie would be titled alien 5 not aliens 5, aliens was the title of the sequel. as for what it might be i would like to see a movie dealing with the origin of the creatures, like planet of the aliens. id also be on board for a peripheral ripley adventure of somekind. whatever the story is the tone needs to return to the dark, bleek, scary mojo of ridley scotts original masterwork.
adam

I get pissed everytime I see would could've been with Alien3. The killing off of Hicks and basically throwing Aliens in the dumpster with the girl dying, too, killed the Alien franchise.
Blackstar

I've been praying for years that somehow this can be pulled off successfully. One of two things has to to happen. Either they ignore Alien 3 onward and pick up from Aliens or they somehow make those terrible films be a 'sleep-chamber' dream sequence and chalk them all up to being the crew's nightmares. Ellen Ripley and the rest of the crew wake up from cryo and the story continues where it left off from Cameron's film. Either way, if they can pull it off no one will be happier than me. Oh, and @ Chuck - "James Cameron's Aliens was a masterpiece! Anything after it can only be subpar!" Alien was a masterpiece. Aliens was a brilliant sequel, an excellent film in it's own right and has been my all-time favorite for over 20 years, but even I know it is not in the same league as the original. - Blackstar
harrison

alien 3 was a great movie, i certainly wish hicks couldve lived too but you cant have everything, if they can clear alien 4 from existence then by all means, all the ripley clones and stupid hybrid alien or whatevr that was just ruined what started out as a good movie for me
JL

@#2 Nelson, Shame on you. This thread is about Sigourney Weaver and Ridley Scott teaming up again. Though I have to agree that Sunshine was pretty fantastic. Also, anyone who believes Aliens was better than Alien is suffering from chemical imbalance or some sort of biologically induced psychosis. @#5 Shikaka, True, James Cameron was responsible for the 'success' of the Alien franchise. However, Ridley Scott's original was far superior. He was working with a smaller budget and still made a better movie. Alien was a great sci-fi film, Aliens was an action blockbuster. And I especially agree with what Weaver said that, "...if you overexpose the creature, that's just a mistake." What made the alien scary the first time around was that you got brief glimpses of what it looked like, and lasting impressions of what it might be capable of. Nuff said.
Bryanmakeup

This is Old news. Heard it when it happened!
Kee

well there's always the 'Space Jockey' / Alien Ship as seen in the 1st movie perhaps there is something in that ... good news anyhow
werdnafaz

#15 please write sci fi movie scripts you will have my money lol. I think i have to agree with some comments here. I too always wandered where the aliens came from and am always very intrigued by the first ship they find the eggs on in the first one " Alien" which is a masterpiece. I saw it for the first time in the 90s somewhere when they re released it into cinema "Thankyou Jesus" And wow so much better like evrything on the big screen. A chronicles of Rippley sounds good enough for me as i really find myself attatched to that character in the franchise and everything else is just part of the soup... Granted that Gigers Alien is the most baddass alien ever me thinks. I would also agree that a role of 3 or four leading actors is good too with the main squeeze being Ripley but give us characters to cheer for as well...So when they die its like Damn! Also... if terminator can do it Man they should make a TV series about space marines VS Bad Ass aliens.
Ed

Hell Yeah!
sng. Sheep

I kinda liked AVP, i really liked the story, how they managed to tie them in[A&P ofcourse], it just kinda sucked that we won in a movie with the tagline whoever wins we lose ^_^. But still an ok flick, avp2 pure trash me thinks, had good moments but just that, a couple of good moments.Me, i would really like to see more of the aliens origin somehow, their technology u know maybe theres good scifi/horror stuff in there, with ripley ofcourse, and get HR Giger to dream up other kinds of monsters losely resembling katie holmes )
bozoconnors

As I stated on i09 - unless there's pulse rifles, Vasquez in some form or fashion, or epic weapons free engagement from the likes of a Conestoga class (the Sulaco) - I'll be disappointed.
JussHaten

They could make a Alien movie again. I don't think bringing back Ellen Ripley would make it any better though. On Alien 3 she died, on Alien 4 she was resurrected. If they bring back the Xenomorph it should be set on LV426. It should show how the Aliens took over the colonist before Ripley and the marines showed up.
E

The one thing I always was interested in as far as the ORIGINAL Alien ... was going backwards. Who was the space jockey? Where was he going? How did the company know to send them there even before they took off? How did they even find out about it in time to replace the original science officer with Ash? I was always interested in HOW we got to Alien as opposed to moving forward from that point. I was always interested in all of the unanswered questions about the original ship, original eggs, that launched us into the first film. They had been out there doing the mining thing for years, so the company must have known about the alien thing even before that to give them Ash. I have always been interested in a movie that was more about that or even a look at the alien homeworld. The alien is an interesting creature, overexposed or not, and something could be done with it. Don't get me wrong. Ellen is awesome and without her we wouldn't have half the female heroines that we do now - maybe passing of the torch would be more appropriate.
Mike McRorey

A prequel would rock. The ending of the prequel would have the Space Jockey landing/crashing onto the planet from the first movie and then fast forward x years to the company finding out about it and sending the Nostromo after it.
Bry from Chi

I agree with #14, after they killed Hicks and the little girl, that was it. It was over for me. I watched the others on DVD and was not impressed..totally done with the franchise.
REAL6

Like it was told along time ago. I had heard once james Cameron talking that he wanted to do ALien 4 and have it that part 3 was a dream. They could still go that route and bring back Michael Biehn and Carrie Henn 'Newt'. that would be crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kenn stewart

Re No5 Aliens was not the reason for the success of the franchise Ridleys masterpiece original will always be the superior film. Aliens for me was great, no question, but the big mistake was Cameron reducing the fear and mystique of the Alien creature by thinking more was better. Its the odd one out of the 4 despite 3 and 4 being good but lesser works. As with most things in life the original is always best
Nicholas Otero

I personlly would like to see more of the aliens and not riply.Ive seen Alien and was complety bored. However I did very much enjoy Aliens because of other charitors such as Hicks,bishop,hudson, and Vasques.They were more entertaining than Riply.James Camron should do another Alien movie like his thing,and just have new diffrent people.Ellen Riply is old and wornout,and Ridney Scott would probley just do one about one creature hiding in the dark and using steath and not war.Riply should just be like a legend or refrence.
Evan Grantham

I agree with statement 24. They should make a prequel to James Camerons Aliens regarding the infestation of the colony on LV-426, prior to the marines arrival. This idea intriqued me so much so that a few years ago during my university days I actually wrote a script and screenplay detailing this very idea. To answer some of the questions on this site regarding the Space Jockeys, while reading the wider Alien universe, in addition to Ridley Scotts comments, it is suggested that the Space Jockey species created the aliens in a lab as a sort of bio-engineered experiment. The aim of the experiment was too create a bio-weapon against its enemies. It is suggested the crashed space jockey craft discovered by the Nostromo was a warship enroute an enemy planet to drop its payload of alien eggs to overwhelm the planet. Unfortunately for the crew it got overwhelmed by its own creation and sent out a warning to humans to stay away. However, it is suggested that the Space Jockeys have been extinct for millions of years in which case If you believe that mankind as we know it is tens of thousands of years old, it may have been a warning to any intelligent species. It is suggested that Space Jockeys and Predators are allies and that Predators trade certain goods in exchange for alien eggs as a means of hunting the species, ie AVP. It is also stated elsewhere, I dont remember the source, that the Space Jockeys intended to enslave the human race but this is fictuous as the timeline suggests humankind had yet to evolve or exist in the Space Jockey universe.
ron

"Apparently Scott and her have been talking about making a fifth Aliens movie. " Wow. Do you get paid for this, or are you a volunteer language mangler?
Evan Grantham

Volunteer obviously, did you get a cheque for leaving a comment? If its such 'mangled' language I respectfully suggest purchasing a dictionary If you are having problems.