Movies - Sigourney Weaver – Alien and an Exceptional Masterclass at the Cinémathèque Française

By Mulder, Paris, Cinémathèque, Salle Langlois, 07 november 2025

From 6 to 10 November 2025, the Cinémathèque Française will resonate with the unmistakable presence of Sigourney Weaver, an artist whose career has shaped the imagination of generations and redefined the boundaries of cinematic heroism. What makes this event instantly compelling is the way it reconnects audiences with the very moment where everything changed—not just for the actress, but for cinema itself. Before Sigourney Weaver became synonymous with Ellen Ripley, before she became a global icon, she was a young performer with only a fleeting appearance in Annie Hall. Yet in 1979, Ridley Scott entrusted her with the role that would transform her into the face of a new, groundbreaking kind of hero. The tribute and masterclass organized by the Cinémathèque thus operate as a journey into the past that illuminates both the evolution of an actress and the birth of a modern myth. The press materials underline a simple but essential truth: in one performance, Sigourney Weaver shifted the gender landscape of action cinema, rising as a figure both vulnerable and resolute, reshaping what strength could look like on screen. This retrospective and masterclass arrive as both a celebration and a homecoming, acknowledging 40 years of extraordinary collaborations—from James Cameron to Paul Schrader—and an artistic path that continues to expand with remarkable elegance.

The highlight of this program is, of course, the screening of Alien on Friday 7 November 2025 at 18:30 in Salle Henri Langlois, preceding the conversation “Sigourney Weaver par Sigourney Weaver” moderated by Frédéric Bonnaud. Revisiting Alien at the Cinémathèque isn’t simply about rediscovering a film—it’s about re-entering a cinematic environment whose impact remains seismic. Born from the imagination of screenwriter Dan O’Bannon, shaped by the meticulous eye of Ridley Scott, and given its visceral, unforgettable texture thanks to the biomechanical nightmares of H.R. Giger, Alien stands as one of the rare films that permanently altered the DNA of science-fiction and horror. It’s striking to remember that the film, today preserved in the National Film Registry, was first met with mixed reviews, its audacity unsettling audiences and critics not yet prepared for its blend of realism, dread, and body horror. And yet, the scenes born out of pure instinct—like the infamous chestburster moment, executed with secretive glee by Ridley Scott to genuinely shock the cast—became defining images of cinema history. The anecdotes shared in the press notes, such as the actors nearly fainting inside their oxygen-free space suits or Sigourney Weaver discovering her allergy to cat hair during her scenes with Jones, remind us how the physical reality of making Alien contributed just as much to its atmosphere as the film’s design.

What continues to fascinate, especially when seen through the lens of this Cinémathèque tribute, is how Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley emerges slowly, almost quietly, throughout the narrative. Critics at the time, like Gene Siskel, immediately sensed her potential, calling her “an actress who should become a major star,” even before Ripley exploded into an international symbol. The character was not originally written as a woman—something the masterclass will likely explore in detail—but Sigourney Weaver’s audition was so commanding that Ridley Scott, David Giler, and Walter Hill immediately recognized the power she would bring to the role. The press notes deepen this trajectory, revealing how her height, long considered a personal insecurity, became an element of presence, and how her years of theatrical training, intensified by difficult moments at Yale and a series of teachers who doubted her dramatic potential, forged the strength that later defined her performances. The story of Christopher Durang repeatedly casting her “when no one else would” isn’t just an anecdote—it’s a reminder that the path to Ripley was neither linear nor inevitable. It was the fruit of persistence, resilience, and a stubborn belief in artistic sincerity.

The Cinémathèque program also frames Alien not only as a film but as the nexus of a worldwide phenomenon that has influenced cinema, design, and pop culture for nearly five decades. The production history reads today like an improbable alignment of creative forces: Ron Cobb redesigning industrial aesthetics into something both gritty and believable; Bolaji Badejo, the slender art student discovered in a bar, becoming one of the most iconic creatures ever filmed; Jerry Goldsmith composing a score full of “dark beauty,” despite disagreements that left some of his themes unused. Even the earliest marketing materials—an egg borrowed from test footage, the legendary “In space, no one can hear you scream” tagline—were experiments that turned into cultural artifacts. The press notes recall how audiences fled from their seats during preview screenings, an image that feels almost quaint in the era of digital franchises but speaks to the raw, primal effectiveness of the film. The tribute at the Cinémathèque doesn’t merely honor the final product; it celebrates the entire ecosystem of creativity, risk, and near-chaos that birthed such a masterpiece.

But this event is not only about Ripley or the alien. It is also about the multi-faceted career of Sigourney Weaver, who over the decades refused to be reduced to a single role. The press notes trace a trajectory filled with audacity: leaping from Harrison Ford’s Machiavellian corporate battlefield in Working Girl to the tragic depth of Gorillas in the Mist—earning two Golden Globes in the same year; embracing comedy in Ghostbusters; taking risks with directors like Ang Lee and Roman Polanski; jumping into voice work for Pixar; or returning to Pandora with James Cameron in a dual role that defies the conventions of sci-fi storytelling. The Cinémathèque masterclass promises to explore these shifts and the creative appetite that drives them. And there is also the question of legacy: Ripley as a template for generations of action heroines, her influence visible from franchise blockbusters to independent films. The tribute becomes an ideal moment to reflect on how Sigourney Weaver influenced not just characters, but the industry’s expectations of women onscreen.

By anchoring its tribute in both the origins of Alien and the decades-spanning arc of Sigourney Weaver’s career, the Cinémathèque Française positions this November event as more than a retrospective. It becomes a space for rediscovery—of an actress, a film, and the many ways both continue to resonate. The masterclass led by Frédéric Bonnaud will undoubtedly offer new insights and perhaps reveal lesser-known corners of creative history, but ultimately, what remains most powerful is the enduring emotional impact of watching Alien with an audience, in the very institution dedicated to the memory and future of cinema. Seeing Ellen Ripley once again step into the spotlight, this time through the voice of Sigourney Weaver herself, reconnects us with the essence of why certain films endure: they carry within them a rare combination of craft, courage, and the unmistakable spark of an artist who helped change the landscape forever.

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Synopsis :
The commercial vessel Nostromo and its crew of seven men and women are returning to Earth with a large cargo of minerals. But during a forced stop on a desert planet, Officer Kane is attacked by an unknown life form, an arachnid that suffocates his face. After the ship's doctor removes the specimen, the crew regains its composure and dines together. Until Kane, seized by convulsions, sees his abdomen perforated by a living foreign body, which escapes into the corridors of the ship...

Alien
Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Dan O'Bannon
Story by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Produced by Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill
Starring  Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto
Cinematography : Derek Vanlint
Edited by Terry Rawlings, Peter Weatherley
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Production companies : 20th Century-Fox, Brandywine Productions, 
Distributed by 20th Century Fox (United States), UFD (France)
Release dates : May 25, 1979 (United States), September 12, 2025 5france)
Running time : 116 minutes

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville