When it comes to the most iconic leads to grace the silver screen, one can’t leave Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley out of the equation. While the Alien IP has witnessed several installments since its inception in ’79, the first two releases remain the franchise’s peak, often considered some of the most important contributors to the sci-fi landscape.
So it’s unsurprising to see why most hold one of the first two as one of their favorites from the iconic IP, and when Weaver was asked about her favorite one, she was quick to answer.
Aliens is Sigourney Weaver’s Favorite in the Franchise
From Ridley Scott delving into the more horror element with the first film, and James Cameron exploring more of its sci-fi aspect with the sequel, both films are considered great in their own right. But While Sigourney Weaver holds massive admiration for Scott, when she was asked about her favorite in the franchise, the actor was quick to pick the James Cameron-led film.
Often regarded as one of the greatest sequels ever made, Weaver raved about Aliens, stating it has the best-constructed story for her iconic character. Speaking with Collider, Weaver further commended Cameron’s “sense of structure of story”, stressing the arc of Ripley in the second film was the most satisfying.
She said:
“The best-constructed story for the character to tell was in Aliens, just because Jim [Cameron] has such an amazing sense of structure of story… The whole set-up for Ripley in Aliens and then what she ends up doing with it, finding this new family by the end… I always felt that I could jump up and down on it. It was such a great, supportive, arc for the character. In that sense, the second one, for Ripley, is probably the most satisfying.”
It’s reasonable to see why the Ghostbusters star opted to reunite with Cameron once again for Avatar and return for Avatar: The Way of Water.
Sigourney Weaver Appreciated One Aspect of Ridley Scott on Set
Even though Ridley Scott‘s Alien might not be her favorite of the bunch, Weaver still holds immense respect for the acclaimed auteur for getting straight to the point without wasting any time.
She said:
“In an industry where there’s so much bullshit I really appreciated his just getting to the point. We didn’t have to waste time. We rarely rehearsed and if we did it was only a day in advance of shooting. It was a high-pressured set. Ridley operated the camera.”
While different people might pick different ones in the franchise as their dearest, both of them have cemented themselves as classics, whose contribution to the medium remains immense.
Alien is available to stream on Disney Plus.
Aliens is available to stream on Max.
