Returning from the set of 2015’s Chappie, director Neill Blomkamp brought with him news of a potential Alien 5. As his story goes, he was filming Chappie with Sigourney Weaver when he showed her some concept art he had drawn up for Alien 5, featuring her back as Ripley and Michael Beihn returning as Corporal Hicks. It was to be a sequel to 1986’s Aliens, somehow taking place before Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. But, with the original director who kicked off the franchise, Ridley Scott, having just returned for Prometheus and currently in pre-production on Alien: Covenant, the project was put on hold.

Now that Alien: Covenant is weeks away from release and Ridley Scott is making the press rounds, will someone please tell us if Alien 5 is still on hold or dead, without anyone having ever heard it scream? Allocine has found the answer to my query, in an interview they had with Scott: 

“I think [Alien 5] will never see the light. There was never a scenario, just an idea that evolved into a pitch of ten pages, I had to participate as a producer but it did not go any further because Fox decided that She did not want to do it. I had already done Prometheus and worked on Covenant.”

Alien 5 is dead, but long live Alien: Covenant! I know it must be disappointing for all the Sigourney Weaver fans out there, but more and more franchises are proving it is often better to continue your franchise with a new cast, rather than always rely on bringing back the same characters decade after decade. Ripley remains one of the greatest and most badass sci-fi characters in cinema, but I think Alien: Covenant has the potential to be a great film even without her. Besides, when you get in the business of mucking up timelines, well, that doesn’t always work out so well.

Would you have rather seen Alien 5 with Ripley than another prequel in Alien: Covenant? Or can the franchise be great without Sigourney Weaver? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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SOURCE: Allocine