Sigourney Weaver Joining Star Wars Biggest Project In Years, In Talks For Major Role

The Mandalorian & Grogu will be a feature film continuing the story of the two titular characters. Directed by The Mandalorian creator, Jon Favreau, and produced by Favreau, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy, and chief creative officer Dave Filoni, the feature film will see Pedro Pascal return as Djarin, the titular protagonist. As of now, it’s unclear who Sigourney Weaver will play in the upcoming Star Wars film.

Sigourney Weaver won’t be stepping too far out of her comfort zone by joining the Star Wars family. The 74-year-old actress has already bravely confronted face-hugging extraterrestrials and challenged colonial forces amidst vibrant, verdant worlds. But despite being a sci-fi legend, she has never crossed blasters with stormtroopers in any of her adventures.

When George Lucas first released Star Wars (now titled A New Hope) in 1977, he never could have dreamed his space opera would turn into one of the biggest franchises the world has ever seen. Meanwhile, as Sigourney Weaver filmed her breakout role as Ellen Ripley in Alien just two years later, she never could have guessed she’d be starring in a Star Wars spinoff 45 years after that. And yet, the two biggest forces in the sci-fi genre are about to come together for one epic project.

In November 2019, Disney+ introduced The Mandalorian as its premier series, propelling the character affectionately referred to as Baby Yoda, and his protector Din Djarin, into the realms of pop culture stardom. The show’s third season debuted last year, spawning several spin-offs such as The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, the latter currently in development for a second season. 

The Mandalorian & Grogu, starring Sigourney Weaver, is the first of several Star Wars projects in the works. There is also a new Rey movie on the way, set after The Rise of Skywalker and focusing on Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order. Meanwhile, James Mangold, Dave Filoni, Taika Waititi, Shawn Levy, and Rian Johnson each have reported Star Wars films in the pipeline.

Sigourney Weaver proved herself to be a sci-fi queen just as Star Wars was beginning to climb its ranks in cinematic history. As a three-time Academy Award nominee, Weaver is widely recognized as the enduring face of the Alien franchise, beginning with Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic in 1979 and solidifying her reputation as a formidable action star in James Cameron’s 1986 sequel, Aliens. She continued her iconic portrayal of Ripley in two subsequent films, blazing a trail for future screen heroines to follow.

Her collaboration with Cameron extended to the groundbreaking Avatar series, where she entered the acclaimed universe in Avatar: The Way of Water. In the 80s, she added to her pop culture legacy by appearing in Ghostbusters (and reprised her role in the 2021 reboot Ghostbusters: Afterlife), and in the 90s, she reinforced it by appearing in the sci-fi comedy spoof Galaxy Quest. After spending decades in the sci-fi genre, it’s only fitting that Sigourney Weaver finally joins the Star Wars family.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter