Alien Producer Walter Hill Shares One Reason Why We Haven't Seen A New Sigourney Weaver Starring Entry In The Franchise

The "Alien" franchise has become the stuff of Hollywood legend for a handful of reasons. For one, visionary directors such as James Cameron and Ridley Scott have helped build it from the ground up behind the camera. Not to mention, the titular creatures known as Xenomorphs have become silver screen icons despite their terrifying nature. Additionally, the series has included actors such as Michael Fassbender, the late Bill Paxton, and of course, Sigourney Weaver, who's recognized as the face of the "Alien" brand thanks to her performances as the tough-as-nails Ellen Ripley.

To date, Weaver's Ripley has appeared in four alien films, uniquely building on the character's legacy every time. She first popped up in the film that started it all, 1979's "Alien," followed by its sequel, "Aliens," from 1986. Six years later, Weaver would return to the role of Ripley in "Alien 3," and five years after that, she'd reprise her character once more in "Alien: Resurrection." However, this film takes place 200 years after the previous film, so Weaver plays a clone of Ripley whose DNA has crossed with that of the aliens the original had been at odds with for so long.

Aside from the video game "Alien: Isolation," Sigourney Weaver hasn't properly played Ellen Ripley since "Resurrection" (via IMDb). According to producer Walter Hill, that likely won't change for the foreseeable future.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Walter Hill touched on the future of the "Alien" franchise, as well as whether or not we'll get to see Sigourney Weaver suit up as Ellen Ripley once again. Suffice to say, his information on such a concept is disheartening for those hoping to see her return. "The people at Disney, who now control 'Aliens,' have expressed no interest in going down that road. I had an idea for a good story with the Ripley character and Sigourney," he explained. Hill noted that when 20th Century Fox was its own entity prior to the Walt Disney Company's purchase of it, he attempted to get his idea off the ground, though it never happened.

Even though Disney has no intention of bringing back Weaver's Ripley in a future movie, that's not to say that the House of Mouse doesn't see potential in more "Alien" installments. In the wake of "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant," Ridley Scott mentioned in a 2020 interview with Forbes that he's working on another "Alien" prequel. Meanwhile, Fede Álvarez is working on a separate, Hulu-exclusive "Alien" production with Scott as producer (via THR). As of this writing, details about both projects are few and far between, but hopefully, more news about them will come about sooner rather than later.

Based on Hill's comments, it seems like the story of Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley is indeed over. That could always change, but it would be wise not to get your hopes up.