Sigourney Weaver Reveals Why Avatar, Alien, and Star Wars Are Worlds Apart

Let's be honest: if you've ever spent an embarrassing amount of time in a cinema queue, you've probably heard someone bang on about how Alien, Avatar and Star Wars are all basically the same thing. Sci-fi, aliens, lots of costumes, that sort of nonsense. Well, Sigourney Weaver – who, to be fair, knows more about this stuff than any of us – begs to differ. And she's gotten a say in all three, so I'd listen.

Weaver Lays Down the Law on Sci-Fi Stereotyping

Speaking at an event in London, Weaver took some time to clear up the misconception that there's any sort of overlap between these three franchises beyond the fact that people don't wear jeans and there's the odd spaceship knocking about. Her view?

'It's fascinating to me that they're all considered the same genre. They really couldn't be more different. Alien is a particularly hostile world, a not very nice alien. Avatar, it's the humans who are the bad guys. And in this, you have the Mandalorian, who is a hero, and this little, absolutely adorable, wise-seeming little person.'

Just to break that down:

• Alien: Space horror with a xenomorph that no one would want as a house guest.
• Avatar: Supports the blue people, humans are basically the villains messing up another planet.
• Star Wars (The Mandalorian and Grogu): A bounty hunter and a small, suspiciously irresistible green Jedi baby – trying not to get cancelled by the Empire or the internet.

The Weaver Sci-Fi Hat Trick

Weaver's CV is well and truly flexing at this point. It started with Ellen Ripley in Alien – and if you know your pop culture, you know she's basically the original action heroine. Fast forward to Avatar, where she's both Dr. Grace Augustine and, in the more recent films, Kiri (James Cameron can't seem to quit her). Now she's signed up for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, playing Colonel Ward – bigwig with the New Republic Adelphi Rangers and an old hand from the Rebel Alliance days.

Grogu: Scene Stealer, Even for Weaver

Apparently, getting screen time with Grogu – aka Baby Yoda for the 99% of the planet – was a career milestone for Weaver. She was so keen she specifically asked Jon Favreau to write her a moment with the little fellow. Favreau obliged. Weaver was immediately gobsmacked by the level of animatronic tech involved, saying it was 'very hard for me to realize that there isn't a real person inside of him.' Frankly, if you haven't watched half the crew lose it over Grogu, have you even worked on Star Wars?

Mark Your Calendars

Just for the completionists: The Mandalorian and Grogu is headed to cinemas on 22 May 2026. So, you've got plenty of time to catch up on whichever franchise you skipped and decide which is your favourite weird corner of sci-fi.