In the very near future, one of the greatest film franchises to ever toe the line between the science fiction and horror genres will make its much anticipated return when Alien: Covenant graces cinemas. And as is the case with any series that has had the good fortune of being able to span several decades, speculation is already running rampant at to what future installments may entail. Actually, it feels pretty natural to do so here when you consider that this is apparently the latest of four films bridging the gap between Prometheus and Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, Alien.
As with any enduring property, there’s usual one or two faces people associate with such a thing and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t think of Sigourney Weaver whenever Alien comes up in a conversation? Apparently, the folks at Empire Magazine do as well and had the most interesting of inquiries when speaking with Covenant co-writer John Logan, who actually happens to be hard at work on the script for the next movie. I guess the early face-hugger catches the worm.
Anyway, the publication put forth the suggestion of having Weaver herself appear in one of the upcoming installments as a digitally de-aged Ripley, to which Logan replied “You could do that.” Now, that may seem like wishful thinking at this point, but let’s not forget that Neill Blomkamp’s Ripley-centric Alien 5 is pretty much dead, so if Weaver wants to return to the franchise, this may be her only viable option.
That said, CGI facelifts are becoming more commonplace when prequel footage is required in movies these days, with a ridiculously smoothed Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in X-Men: The Last Stand being the first example that immediately springs to mind. Still, you’d have to find a way to work in the Ripley character without her ever acquiring knowledge of a xenomorph before the events of Alien. That, my friends, will be key.
Alien: Covenant arrives in theaters on May 19.
