Over the last few years, there was talk of
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp possibly helming a new
Alien sequel. It was an exciting rumor that at the time seemed full steam ahead, with franchise star Sigourney Weaver apparently on board and
Blomkamp even sharing concept art for the potential film. Unfortunately, the project never got off the ground as Fox opted to press on with Ridley Scott's
Prometheus franchise.
Blomkamp has
seemingly since moved on from the idea, but fans who want desperately want to see Ripley and Hicks return to the big screen are still holding on to the possibility of it becoming a reality. Sigourney Weaver, who plays Ripley in the
Alien franchise, was recently by The Hollywood Reporter if we'll ever get to see Neill Blomkamp's
Alien project and while she's not the one who ultimately makes the decision, she did offer some insight.
We almost started to do it when I was working with James Cameron. But by the time we were put off by Fox, Neill had gotten so many jobs that we’d have to wait probably. I’m busy doing Avatar 4 and 5. I love working with Neill and I think he’d do a terrific job, and James Cameron really thinks it’s a great idea, so you never know. Right now, I think Neill’s got like three projects going at once.
Bomkamp's Alien film was supposed to be a direct sequel to Aliens, ignoring the events in Alien 3. Ridley Scott continued his Prometheus storyline last year with the release of Alien: Covenant, which was met with an unenthusiastic reception both critically and commercially.
At this point, it's unclear what's next for the beloved Alien franchise. Disney is currently in the process of purchasing a majority of 20th Century Fox's television and film assets, which would obviously include the Alien franchise. Disney isn't exactly known for its R-rated sci-fi horror films, so it'll be interesting to see what they do with the property moving forward.