Quite possibly the most famous science fiction franchise to come out of Hollywood aside from its inadvertent cousin ‘’, the ‘Alien’ saga by 20th Century Fox is nothing short of a cultural milestone. While the franchise has had a whopping 7 feature films, a couple of spinoffs that might or might not be canon, and a recent TV series, it is the first four films that are the most well-known. So, where are we at with Alien 5: Will Return as Ellen Ripley?
Some of the greatest directors in the industry, from Ridley Scott to to David Fincher, helmed the first three films in this saga before 1997’s Alien: Resurrection blew it all up. The strange creative decisions and the low box office of the film meant that the proposed Alien 5 would have a hard time taking off. Let’s dive into what happened to this proposed sequel and whether or not there is a chance of it happening at all.
Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley has been the heart and soul of the Alien franchise since the first film debuted in 1979 (although Michael Fassbender’s android David briefly took over that role in the two prequels). The 1979 feature sees Ripley and her crew of the USS Nostromo go up against the alien Xenomorph for the first time. A near-perfect killer species that has acid for blood, Ripley would fight the Xenomorphs three more times, the last being 1997’s Alien Resurrection. Since Resurrection ended on a cliffhanger involving Ripley’s clone arriving on Earth, a possible sequel would have undoubtedly gone in this direction.
Alien 5: Will Sigourney Weaver Return as Ellen Ripley?
It was during Alien: Resurrection’s production that Fox commissioned writer Stuart Hazeldine to pen the follow-up, tentatively titled Alien: Earthbound. Rumors described the script as impressive, while Resurrection writer Joss Whedon simultaneously developed his own Alien 5 treatment set on Earth, featuring the Ripley clone. While both these scripts never moved forward, it was Whedon’s script that Weaver personally took issue with, wanting the new film to take place on a new planet instead.
Alien 5: Will Sigourney Weaver Return as Ellen Ripley?
Concurrently, it later became known that maestro (who directed the second Alien film) was also busy coming up with a script for Alien 5. This proposed feature would have involved in the franchise, teaming up with Ripley to take on the alien invaders. It was at this time that Fox decided to take the Xenomorph and put it in a battle with Predators, another franchise that the studio owned the rights to. Two films, dubbed Alien vs Predator, were ultimately commissioned, and amidst critical maligning and fan scorn, this new direction ended in 2007 when Alien vs Predator 2 bombed.
Neither Cameron nor Scott agreed with this new direction, but both vowed to work to make their version of Alien 5 happen. Weaver remained eager to reprise her role, and by late 2008, original Alien director Ridley Scott reportedly began developing a new film with her attached. This also didn’t pan out as well, and Scott moved on to do the Alien prequels (Prometheus and Alien: Covenant), focusing on the origins of the Xenomorph and how they connected to humanity. The two prequels have their detractors, but no one can deny they introduced some rich and bonkers lore to the franchise that had, up to that point, become a horror slasher starring an alien species.
At this same time, director Neil Blomkamp was also rumored to be working on Alien 5. Blomkamp’s story would take place after Aliens and would disregard the latter two films. . Unfortunately, the studio scrapped this version after Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie underperformed at the box office, though some stunning concept art from the project later surfaced online.
Things changed quickly after bought 20th Century Fox; Scott’s Alien Covenant follow-up was canceled, and acclaimed horror director Fredde Alvarez was quickly tapped to make Alien: Romulus. Featuring a new, younger cast, the 2024 film Alien: Romulus sidesteps the franchise’s tangled canon by setting its story right after the original movie. The film earned strong reviews and quickly secured a sequel. Around the same time, Fargo creator Noah Hawley began developing a new Alien streaming series. Titled ‘Alien: Earth’, the series debuted this fall and incorporates some elements from the proposed Alien 5, taking place on Earth in a science facility where Xenomorphs manage to run amok.
Just as it seemed Disney had quietly shelved Alien 5 in favor of the franchise’s new direction, an unexpected development changed everything. In October 2025, , with a script being written by Walter Hill.
This news complicates things. With Alien Romulus being a great success and its sequel due for release next year, refocusing the franchise on Alien 5 with Sigourney Weaver is certainly an unexpected creative direction. We don’t yet know what Disney has in mind for the character and if they want her to return for a film focused solely on her character, or if they are trying to write her character into the new Alien Romulus trilogy. Only time will tell if this news of Weaver returning to the franchise manages to pans out.
Thus, it seems that Alien 5 with Sigourney Weaver might indeed end up happening. We really thought that with several iterations of the film being cancelled before they ever got a chance to shoot, Alien 5 might only happen if the current films and show somehow end up on the chopping block. But this will not be the case. The Alien franchise remains an enigma, and in some weird way, it would indeed be poetic if Weaver managed to return to the franchise that put her on the map.
Alien 5: Will Sigourney Weaver Return as Ellen Ripley?
