The Alien franchise is alive and well thanks to the success of last year's Alien: Romulus directed by Fede Álvarez. Becoming one of the most financially successful horror movies of the year, Romulus has paved the way for many more years of Alien to come.
Next up, we'll be treated to an Alien television series on FX from Fargo creator Noah Hawley that takes the series to a new frontier: Earth. And Álvarez is already developing ideas for a Romulus sequel, noting that he and his co-writer Rodo Sayagues are interested in taking the next movie in an "unexpected direction." That said, it is likely we'll see Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson return as characters Rain and Andy.
As much as fans loved Romulus, especially its overall adherence to practical effects, there was one glaring misstep that cropped up in many reviews and stirred controversy among critics. Romulus featured a synthetic character named Rook sporting a similar likeness to late actor Ian Holm to convey that he was also made by Weyland-Yutani, like Ash in the 1979 movie. But the editing was so poor that people were immediately unnerved by the uncanny effect.
As previously reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmakers did get permission from Holm's estate, but that doesn't change the shoddy editing job that made it to theaters, one that featured a malformed mix of CG editing, animatronics, and real-life artificial intelligence. Using A.I. in creative fields is already a polarizing minefield and the fact it stuck out like a sore thumb didn't help matters.
Well, according to a new rumor reported by insider Daniel Richtman, it seems like perhaps Hollywood still hasn't learned its lesson.
Richtman says there are rumors swirling that Sigourney Weaver could return to the franchise as her iconic heroine Ellen Ripley. On the surface, that sounds great, but the report says that it might be achieved by digitally de-aging the actress. Romulus and the upcoming TV series Alien: Earth are both prequels to Ridley Scott's film, hence why they would need a "younger-looking" Weaver to reprise her role if they decide to continue the storytelling during that era.
UPDATE 1/23/25: Álvarez has chimed in on X to say that this rumor isn't true.
Fun gossip. But not true at all.
— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) January 23, 2025
While de-aging Weaver wouldn't be nearly as controversial as Holm's case since she would feasibly be able to work on the project, too, and her input would be taken into consideration, it's still not the wisest move so soon after the Holm fiasco (which has reportedly been fixed for the physical and digital releases).
De-aging technology isn't exactly a new thing and has been around for a while, even before the rise of AI in the filmmaking industry. But it has always been a touchy subject. In 2023, Disney famously de-aged Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny to mixed results, because, again, it sort of dipped into the uncanny valley in some moments—not to mention the fact Ford's real voice didn't gel with his de-aged appearance.
In short, if this rumor is true, I hope the studio heads will reconsider. Recasting a legendary character like Ripley would be a herculean task, and perhaps an unnecessary one to begin with. If Romulus's success proved anything, it's that people are open to these new characters, so why not let them have their chance to shine?