The Star Wars franchise is all set to get another badass alien fighter in the cast for The Mandalorian & Grogu. Actress Sigourney Weaver is reportedly in talks to feature in the upcoming film based on the Disney Plus series The Mandalorian. The film, which is set to be directed by Jon Favreau, is the first Star Wars film to enter production since The Rise of Skywalker.
Sigourney Weaver has starred in multiple blockbusters in her career and it will be the third time she will be featured in an interstellar story. Weaver was the lead of the Alien franchise, playing the role of Ellen Ripley in the films. She also traveled to Pandora in James Cameron’s Avatar and the sequel Avatar: The Way of the Water.
Sigourney Weaver May Join The Star Wars Franchise With The Mandalorian & Grogu
The Disney+ series The Mandalorian was the first show of the Star Wars franchise for the streaming service. The show starred Pedro Pascal as the titular Mandalorian and was created by Jon Favreau. The show follows the story of the space bounty hunter who is tasked with protecting a Force-sensitive child from the Imperium.
The show was acclaimed upon release, with many praising the performance of Pedro Pascal and Jon Favreau’s treatment of the subject. The series was renewed for two more seasons, each receiving similar acclaim. The franchise also received multiple other spinoff shows such as The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, Andor, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In early 2024, Jon Favreau was tapped to direct a spinoff film based on the series named The Mandalorian & Grogu. According to Deadline, Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filloni had joined as producers. The film would be the first feature film of the franchise that would enter production since Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. Filming was set to begin this year.
Popular industry insider Jeff Sneider first reported in his newsletter that actress Sigourney Weaver was in talks to join the franchise with the film. The report was confirmed earlier this week by The Hollywood Reporter, making it the third space-related franchise for the actress after the Alien and Avatar movies.
Sigourney Weaver Is An Expert At Fighting Aliens In Space
Actress Sigourney Weaver has been at the forefront of many successful franchises, beginning with her stint in Ridley Scott’s Alien. The actress played the role of Ellen Ripley, a Warrant Officer on board the ship Nostromo, traveling from the planet of Thedus to Earth. She fights for survival aboard the ship as an alien infiltrates the ship and kills her crew.
Weaver’s portrayal of Ripley has been considered to be one of the greatest sci-fi characters ever created. She has been ranked on many ‘best-of’ lists that feature prominent female protagonists in pop culture and has always been regarded as one of the best-written roles. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for James Cameron’s Aliens.
Sigourney Weaver made her second appearance in the space genre with the Avatar franchise, in which she played the role of Dr. Grace Augustine. She plays an exobiologist who maintains peaceful relations with the Na’vi tribe and acts as a liaison. She returned to the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water, where she played the daughter of Dr. Augustine named Kiri te Suli Kìreysì’ite.
Now, the actress might be back to the genre with The Mandalorian & Grogu, but she is yet to be confirmed to be a part of the film. According to Deadline, it would begin filming this year, despite lead star Pedro Pascal’s busy schedule, which includes the HBO show The Last of Us season 2 and MCU’s The Fantastic Four.
