One other day, and one other pernicious movie-related rumor has been making the rounds. This time, phrase started to buzz that twentieth Century Studios was “contemplating” the concept of bringing again acclaimed actor and franchise star Sigourney Weaver to reprise her legendary function as Ellen Ripley in the still-unconfirmed sequel to “Alien: Romulus.” This newest report got here courtesy of scooper Daniel Richtman (additionally identified by his social media deal with DanielRPK) in a recent Patreon post solely accessible to subscribers, claiming that the powers that be have been trying into using broadly prevalent de-aging expertise with the intention to make this model of Ripley period-accurate, as “Romulus” happened roughly 20 years after the occasions of the unique “Alien” film.
Nicely, think about this rumor squashed. No much less an authority than “Romulus” director and co-writer Fede Álvarez confirmed as much in a post made on X (the web site/app previously and nonetheless popularly often called Twitter), responding to a fan web site by merely stating:
“Enjoyable gossip. However not true in any respect.”
Enjoyable gossip. However not true in any respect.
— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) January 23, 2025
That sound you hear might be the massive sigh of aid winding all through members of the movie neighborhood, a lot of whom had good purpose to stay cynical about such a controversial narrative selection. In spite of everything, “Romulus” was the identical film that got here beneath hearth for its use of comparable de-aging tech to digitally resurrect the late, nice Ian Holm as an android antagonist — a call that Álvarez claimed was “fixed” for its home release with the intention to enhance on some spotty visible results work. After all, the actual problem needed to do with the moral questions of recreating actors who’ve died and an over-reliance on nostalgia. Compounding that downside by going proper again to the identical nicely and bringing again one other fan-favorite character like Ripley would’ve been … curious, to say the least.
Regardless of the case could also be, these trying ahead to the follow-up movie to “Alien: Romulus” and nervous in regards to the prospects of a de-aged Ripley would appear to be within the clear.
A de-aged Sigourney Weaver showing as Ripley within the Alien: Romulus sequel by no means made a lot sense
So far as rumors and hypothesis go, it is value diving deep into whether or not this Sigourney Weaver rumor ever actually handed the scent take a look at within the first place. “Alien: Romulus” was meant to satisfy the identical goal as a tender reboot (though in his review, /Film critic Chris Evangelista felt it played things much too safe in that regard), bringing the franchise again to its grungy, low-fi roots after a pair of divisive prequels by authentic director Ridley Scott left the way forward for “Alien” considerably unsure. That clearly meant taking part in the collection’ best hits, dropping references to actually each prior installment alongside the best way. In that sense, going full-circle and bringing a younger Ripley again into the combo kind of checks out … however falls aside as quickly as you consider it a little bit extra.
There are far too many logic and narrative holes within the tightly-drawn “Alien” timeline for this to have ever made a lot sense. Instantly after the occasions of the 1979 basic, Ripley is caught in cryo-stasis till “Aliens” begins — which, after all, takes place practically 60 years later. Given the very particular time interval that “Romulus” is ready in, a sequel could not probably incorporate a younger Ripley with out critically screwing up the continuity of those films. (Álvarez previously hinted to Empire that any “Romulus” sequel would as soon as once more give attention to Cailee Spaeny’s Rain and her surviving android bestie Andy, performed by David Jonsson.) Extra virtually, de-aging expertise nonetheless hasn’t come fairly far sufficient to threat the wrath of followers but once more by dabbling with dodgy-looking VFX. And, let’s be actual, James Cameron already beat them to the punch with his own de-aged Sigourney Weaver character in “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
For now, the “Alien: Romulus” sequel stays solely a hypothetical till twentieth Century Studios formally provides it the inexperienced mild. Till that occurs, although, a minimum of we all know that Ripley may have earned her relaxation and will not be dug up out of cryo-sleep for an additional Xenomorph encounter. In different phrases? Keep away from her, you b****!
