Sigourney Weaver would "consider" an Alien return, but questions whether we need another Ripley movie

Sigourney Weaver has addressed whether she would return to the role of Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise.

"I feel like she’s never far away from me, but on the other hand I have yet to read a script that said 'you have got to do this'," Weaver told Deadline. "So for me, she is in this other dimension, safe from the Alien for the time being."

While Weaver admits it's "not completely impossible" that she would return to the classic sci-fi franchise, she questions the appetite from the moviegoing audience for another Ripley appearance.

"How much does the public really need or want another Ripley movie?" Weaver asks. "I don’t really sit around and think about it, but if it came up, I would consider it. It has come up a bunch of times, but I’m also busy doing other things. Ripley has earned her rest."

Weaver has a long and storied history with the Alien franchise, charting back to the genesis of her iconic role in 1979's Alien. She later appeared in Aliens and Alien 3, before coming back for one final time in an on-screen role in 1997's Alien: Resurrection – a movie which one of our writers watched for the first time this year, with surprising results.

Since then, Ripley has been referenced on multiple occasions in projects – including a possible Easter egg hiding in this year's Alien: Romulus. Players also took control of her daughter, Amanda Ripley, in Alien: Isolation. Weaver also reprised her role as Ellen Ripley during the 2014 game's campaign, as well as in its DLC packs – to date, her most recent portrayal of Ripley.

For more, check out our guide on how to watch the Alien movies in order, then dive into our picks for the best alien movies and best sci-fi movies ever made.