Way back in October, 20th Century Fox putNeill Blomkamp’sAlien 5on “indefinite hold,” as the studio moves forward withAlien: Covenant. Now thatAlien: Covenantis set for release on July 06, 2025, with the studio recently moving it up from its previously-announced June 07, 2025 date, fans are hoping to hear 5soon.Sigourney Weaveris set to return as Ripley, and now the actress has revealed that the impending sequel will bring Ripley’s story to a close. Here’s what she had to say while praisingNeill Blomkamp’s script.
“I hope thatNeill Blomkampand I will eventually get back to it. He’s written such a wonderful script. I look forward to finishing Ripley’s story.”
These comments in her newVarietyinterview mirror the actress' previous statements in an interview from July, that this story gives her beloved characterEllen Ripleya “proper ending.” The actress revealed in that interview thatAlien 5serves as a “tribute” to the work all of the other directors have done on the franchise, while “going in a new direction.”
This project has previously been rumored to be a direct sequel to the 1986 classicAliens, which will essentially ignore the stories told inAlien 3 & 4, teasing that those sequels go in one direction afterAliens, andAlien 5goes in another.Neill Blomkamphimself has stated that he wants this story to be a continuation of bothAlienandAliens, with his initial concept art featuringAlienscharacters such as Ripley andMichael Biehn’s Hicks. There have also been rumors that this story will feature an adult version of Newt, played byCarrie HenninAliensandLance Henriksen’s Bishop.
IGN recently caught up with Lance Henriksen to discuss his role on The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow, but talk turned to Alien 5. Here’s what the actor had to say about the project, also offering plenty of praise for Neill Blomkamp and his script, teasing that his android Bishop might return in some capacity.
“You know they’re going to make another one. It picks up right where Aliens ended. I don’t know if I’m going to be in a baggie or how I’m going to be in it. Blomkamp is a really wonderful, wonderful writer. I have a feeling that if he did it, it would be something spectacular. And there’s an audience for it.”
Michael Biehnrevealed in August thatAlien 5is still happening, revealing that he thinks it would be “embarrassing” if the studio didn’t letSigourney Weaverreturn with the movie “she really wants to go out on.” The actor also confirmed in that interview thatNeill Blomkamp’s take would ignore the third and fourth films, while holding out hope that the movie will still be made at one point. 20th Century Fox hasn’t given the green light forAlien 5quite yet, but hopefully that happens soon.
