The Alien film franchise has been a staple of science fiction horror with over 8 films to date (if you include the two Predator cross over movies). While Ridley Scott, the franchise creator, has been working hard to finish off his prequel chapter with Alien: Awakening, franchise producer Walter Hill has been working on his own Alien movie, a sequel that would bring franchise star Sigourney Weaver back as Ellen Ripley.

The treatment, currently dubbed as Alien 5 in the media, would seek to return to the roots of the franchise, but would require Weaver’s return and approval in order to be made. The script, co-written with David Giler, would pick up after the events of James Cameron’s Aliens, but telling an entirely new story that would ignore the events of maligned sequels Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. 

Weaver is correctly uncertain about doing another movie as the Ellen Ripley, feeling that the character has run her course, “I don’t know. Ridley has gone in a different direction. Maybe Ripley has done her bit. She deserves a rest.” Hill certainly still wants her on board and claims she is “too modest about her proven ability to pull off the idea” of Ridley returning for one more run.

Eventually, another Alien film will be made. The franchise still has a passionate film base and strong box office prospects, but there’s no guarantee that the series’ original star will be a part of it.