Sigourney Weaver Blasts Critics for Misjudging Sci-Fi

Sigourney Weaver says critics often misunderstand science-fiction films. The 76-year-old actress spoke about this during a panel at New York Comic Con while reflecting on her 2015 movie Chappie.

“I had done a film with Neill Blomkamp, Chappie, which I think the critics totally misunderstood,” Weaver said. “They were still, and maybe they still are, evaluating science-fiction films based on their special effects, and Chappie’s just a real story about a robot who wants to be a real boy like Pinocchio. And so they completely misunderstood it and, I think, underestimated it.”

Chappie, directed by Blomkamp, follows an AI law enforcement robot who is kidnapped by a gang. The cast also included Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, and Hugh Jackman. The film received mixed reviews and currently holds a 32% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Weaver also revealed that Blomkamp pitched her an idea for a new Alien movie that would have brought back her character, Newt.

“Neil had pitched me his Alien film, which brought Newt back to life, and I was very excited about his designs and script, and everything else. I won’t go into why it was stopped, but it was sort of about control,” she said.

The actress is best known for her role as Ellen Ripley in the original Alien series. She played the character in four films and has considered returning to the franchise. Weaver mentioned reading part of a potential new script from producer Walter Hill and called it impressive. “You know, Walter Hill is a very good friend of mine and he wrote 50 pages of where Ripley would be now and they are quite extraordinary,” she said.

Weaver’s comments highlight her belief that sci-fi stories are more than their visual effects and deserve to be judged for their storytelling and emotional depth.

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