It’s been over 4 decades since Sigourney Weaver played Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien, and though fans want her to return, it sounds like Ripley has retired for good.

“There are all kinds of younger actors taking this kind of role,” Weaver said to Total Film. “And there was an ‘Alien’ [film] that I really wanted to do with Neill Blomkamp and we didn’t get to do that, but, you know, that ship has sailed. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing. I put in my time in space!”

District 9 creator and director Blomkamp had produced a script for the aforementioned Alien movie sequel, though it never got the thumbs up at 20th Century Fox. If greenlit it would have been the fifth time Weaver stepped into the boots to play Ripley – her last film was 1997’s Alien: Resurrection.

Back in 2015 Weaver even boasted about the film being a new take on the franchise, teasing it would “break new ground.”

“I can’t think of a better director,” Weaver said to Variety. “He’s a real fan. I think he’ll be true to the world and take it in unexpected directions. It’s got a lot of sinew in it. It will certainly stand up to the others and probably break a lot of new ground as well.”

While that film never got into production, Weaver also revealed that she got offered to reprise her role as Ripley by franchise producer Walter Hill (who served as producer on every Alien movie). It seems that film wasn’t too exciting as Weaver said “Ridley (Scott) has gone in a different direction. Maybe Ripley has done her bit. She deserves a rest.”

20th Century Studios are moving forward with the Alien franchise regardless, with production of a new Alien movie now underway with Evil Dead reboot director Fede Alvarez. Its cast includes Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. Ridley Scott is an executive producer on the film, too.

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