Alien Producer Walter Hill Has A 50-Page Treatment For A Fifth Ripley Movie
As you can possibly imagine, being a massive ‘Alien‘ franchise fan (I admit it, I got a kick out of Alien Vs Predator Movies), any news regarding the franchise makes me sit up and take notice. I was elated when Neil Blomkamp was going to be allowed to make his ‘Alien 5‘ screenplay with Sigourney Weaver and Michael Biehn starring. I was devastated when the project was canceled (A huge mistake). I was hopeful when James Cameron expressed an interest in making the film of Blomkamp’s script. I was excited when Ridley Scott said he was considering making a third prequel featuring the Space Jockey and the Alien eggs. And now comes news that makes me squeal with delight.
Walther Hill, who many people know was one of the driving forces behind getting the original ‘Alien‘ made back in the late 1970s and has produced a lot of the following ‘Alien‘ cinematic material, has written a new screenplay for a fifth film in the franchise. I say the fifth film as the plan is for it to be part of the original ‘Alien‘ saga and not be a prequel. Hill has turned in a 50-page treatment of his idea for a new film. What makes the news even more exciting is the fact that Sigourney Weaver, Ripley herself, has read the treatment for the proposed film and has confirmed that she has. But before we can all get too excited for the proposed project, Ms. Weaver isn’t sure if she would be willing to return as Ripley. Here’s what she had to say:
“I don’t know. Ridley (Scott) has gone in a different direction. Maybe Ripley has done her bit. She deserves a rest” But before we get too downhearted, Ms. Weaver did mention her love of the character she has played four times until now: “I’ve always felt she was such a partner. She is always in my stomach”
Ms. Weaver also revealed she recently came across production photos from the original 1979 film while cleaning her apartment: “Me with the special effects guys. I’d be hanging up in the air and they would pipe me tea laced with rum to keep me going, without me asking for it! I was part of the crew, and that was something I loved. I wasn’t dressed in some little dolly dress, trying to keep clean. I was in jumpsuits looking like a grease monkey in the trenches with the crew”
Now, I would love to see Sigourney Weaver return one final time as Ripley. It would be like the thank you and goodnight swansong for the character. It would be wonderful if they made the film and brought back Michael Biehn as Hicks as well as Carrie Henn as Newt, even though Ms. Henn has retired from acting now and is a teacher instead. However, Ms. Henn shows up at conventions from time to time, has hosted a few ‘Aliens‘ nights online during the lockdown and would be a marvelous addition to the proposed fifth, even if it was just to be a cameo as Newt wishing Ripley farewell as she went on her final journey to take on the creatures.
But experience has taught us that we cannot get our hopes up too much when it comes to a fifth film in the Ripley saga. We have been built up before, only to be let down when the decision was made (stupidly) to cancel the production. Even Sigourney Weaver‘s comments regarding Ripley have to now be taken into account. But with the revelation that a treatment for a fifth film, whether it’s by Neil Blomkamp or Walther Hill actually exists and Ms. Weaver has read it, allows us to see a small glimmer of light and hope that Ripley may yet return one more time. Perhaps it’s not quite ‘Game over, man! Game over!’
Until next time.
“They come out mostly at night. Mostly”
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Carl Roberts is a Senior Staff Writer and Books and Literature Correspondent for The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter @CarlRoberts2 where he uses the force frequently!
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(Source: Empire)
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
