Ever since Neill Blomkamp shared his concept art for a potential Alien film, a lot of fans have been feverishly awaiting the director’s take on the series. It didn’t hurt that Sigourney Weaver (who portrayed protagonist Ripley in the first four films) expressed interest in starring in the film, especially with Blomkamp at the helm. Although it was later confirmed that Blomkamp’s Alien would be made with Weaver serving as the lead, the film was eventually delayed until after Ridley Scott’s sequel for Prometheus, titled Alien: Covenant.

While some fans are worried that Blomkamp’s Alien film could be canceled entirely depending on Alien: Covenant’s performance, Weaver has stated in the past that the film will more than likely be made either way (mix this in with Blomkamp continuing to share concept art). Either way, the actress has now at least given fans some insight into how the director’s film would tie into Ripley’s journey as a character.

During a recent interview with Variety, Weaver talked about a plethora of forthcoming projects, from the Avatar sequels to her work in the upcoming Marvel series The Defenders on Netflix. Among these much anticipated projects, she also briefly discussed the future of Blomkamp’s Alien film, praising the script and revealing that the film would serve as a swan song for her Ripley character. Weaver’s response to the status of Blomkamp’s Alien can be read below:

I hope that Neill Blomkamp and I will eventually get back to it. He’s written such a wonderful script. I look forward to finishing Ripley’s story.

Ellen Ripley in Aliens

Obviously, this isn’t a lot to go on, but with the project still not even in the beginning stages of filming (Alien: Covenant doesn’t release until 2017) it’s reasonable that the actress would keep a lot of information close to the chest. Still, the implications are very interesting, and seeing Ripley’s journey come to an end seems like a smart excuse to bring the original franchise back to cinematic life. And with the original actress on board to bring the journey to its conclusion, while simultaneously existing in the same universe as Scott’s Prometheus prequels, it would certainly make the franchise more relevant than it’s been in years.

On the other side of the coin, Blomkamp has struggled to connect with critics and fans since his highly regarded 2009 District 9 film, which made over $200 million at the box office and maintains a 90 percent Rotten Tomatoes score. Compare this with his most recent film Chappie, which grossed a little over $100 million and scored 32 percent on RT, and some fans would argue that the writer/director has lost his creative touch and shouldn't be anywhere near the Alien franchise. Still, a passion project like his Alien film could prove to be just the shot in the arm Blomkamp’s career needs right now.

Screen Rant will keep you updated on any information for Blomkamp’s Alien film as it becomes available.

Source: Variety