Sigourney Weaver Talks About 'Ghostbusters 3,' 'Alien' Prequel

Here's one of the great things about Sigourney Weaver: She's probably cool with me using an old pic from Aliens with this post instead of one from her new project, the Lifetime movie Prayers for Bobby.

I spoke with Weaver for TV Squad recently about the Emmy buzz for her performance in Prayers for Bobby and her future TV projects. She also talked about some of her iconic film roles. I asked the three-time Oscar nominee if she'd ever consider revisiting some of those roles, like Ellen Ripley from Aliens and Ghostbuster's Dana Barrett. I found her answers to be quite surprising. Here's what she had to say:

Mike Moody: The rumor is you might revisit one of your famous comedy roles, Dana Barrett, in another Ghostbusters sequel. Where do you think Dana and Peter Venkman's relationship will be when the new movie picks up?

Sigourney Weaver: Probably non-existent.

Really?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I think they're still writing it, but (laughs) I'd be very surprised ... You never know. I just did a benefit with Bill (Murray), and we love working together, but I think they're trying to create something new completely with the Ghostbusters, although I know Bill is in it. I hope my little son Oscar (from Ghostbusters II) is a Ghostbuster!

So, you won't be appearing in the movie?

No, I don't expect to have anything to do with it, although I wish them well.

Let's talk a bit about Alien. How do you feel about Ellen Ripley recently being named one of the most important science fiction and fantasy heroines of all time by the Web site Total Sci-Fi?

Oh, I didn't know that, but that's great. I was very pleased that MTV named her the second biggest badass in movie history, although I think she could take on Dirty Harry. That was cool. And it is the 30th anniversary of the first film. I love Ellen Ripley. She was a fascinating person to play in each incarnation and a great opportunity for a young actor.

Do you have any interest in being part of the planned Alien prequel movie, or appearing in the franchise ever again?

Well, I don't think that Ripley could appear in an Alien prequel because she doesn't have any access to the creature until the first Alien. But Ridley (Scott) is producing it and that makes me happy. I wasn't thrilled with the whole Alien Vs. Predator thing. I never saw them, but one of the reasons I died in (Alien) 3 was to not have anything to do with those (laughs). Just because, you know, I think it just seemed so economically motivated somehow. I feel we did four good movies, and I'm content with that. I hope if they do something new, they will encompass the idea of where the alien first came from, because I think that's an interesting idea -- to find out what happened and "how did it get to us?".

I know women who look up to you. My wife recently told me that she doesn't want to be Susie Homemaker, she wants to be Ellen Ripley. Growing up and studying acting, did you ever think you'd be playing such strong, iconic roles, such women of integrity?

I remember when they offered me the role of Ripley I was a little ambivalent and I remember thinking "Well, we don't get to do Henry V, so this is my Henry V." I think that when you're in an action movie it's great to mentally draw on all kinds of inspiration from theater and wherever, because you really need to animate a genre which is quite spare ... The fact was that we women never got to play these warriors and never got to play these leaders, and Ripley was that. And she was a great everyman kind of character, even though she was a woman. I think she represented the normal, ordinary person in extremis ... And she changes a lot in each one. It was a fascinating series to be a part of.

Read the full interview tomorrow at TV Squad.