I would like to preface this by stating that this is an unconfirmed rumor and we’re posting this because The Playlist is a reputable site. According to sources close to The Playlist, Katherine Waterston’s character in Alien: Covenant, Daniels, will be none other than Ellen Ripley’s mother.
“Sources close to film and actress tell us the Waterston will be playing Ellen Ripley’s mother in “Alien: Covenant,” which is an amazing twist and true to Ridley Scott’s promise that the post-“Prometheus” prequels will eventually lead right up to the first “Alien” movie. It should be noted however that Waterston isn’t the lead of the movie, and it’s an ensemble piece like “Prometheus.””
Ridley Scott spoke about Alien: Covenant having a connection to Ripley back in September 2015, leading many to speculate that the connection could be a character who is a relative of Ripley: “It’s more associated with Ripley, it’s a completely different angle, it’s more of a sequel. I’m coming in from the back end.”

Katherine Waterston and some of her fellow Alien: Covenant cast pose together at a NSW Waratahs game.
In other minor Alien: Covenant news, executive producer Fred Baron spoke with the Sydney Morning Herald, saying that Covenant was “going great.” He further elaborated, saying that “the director and our producer love it here, not just living in Sydney but they’re loving working at the studio and the technicians and the actors.” Baron also reaffirmed that a further two Alien films are planned after Covenant.
Actor Billy Crudup has also spoken a little with Digital Spy about how he got involved with Alien: Covenant and what it’s like with Ridley Scott: “I became aware of a role that hadn’t been cast yet, through my agent, and I put myself on tape for the casting director with my particular POV about who this character could be. It just happened to pair up with Ridley – it’s my good fortune.
Working with him has been so kick-ass and I think he’s a really fascinating filmmaker and presence – a collaborator. He’s got a very clear idea about how it will be told cinematically.”
Thanks to Stolen and SuicideDoors for the news! What do you think of this latest report? Is this a possibility you’d be interested in seeing for Alien: Covenant? Let us know below!
Update 10/06/2016 – The spoiler has since been removed from The Playlist article with the notation: “Spoiler removed at the request of the studio.”
I'm not into conspiracies or anything but maybe it was deliberately leaked to drum up early publicity. Considering how many publications picked up on the story and Fox's blatant 'Remove Spoiler' request (as if that wouldn't raise any eyebrows). Maybe it's all part of the master plan.
Im starting to think that the attn prequels get for doing convenient things like this, are what attracts the studio to the ideas. They like the negative attn. Maybe they figure it's easier to manufacture than positive attn.
They did specify that she isn't the lead since the film has an ensemble cast.
That's a good way to phrase it actually. This is Aliens not Deadpool. We don't need any 4th wall breaking of any sort.
I dunno man. Even if it's just a walk-on cameo, it's still winking at the audience, and I hate that.
Shit. I laughed at that. I laughed even more when I googled Creme Puff... I'm not even that old yet.
Yeah, that's for the older fans, but the younger generation didn't grow up with Ripley.
Creme Puff lived to 38.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creme_Puff_(cat)
Sigourney Weaver still shows up in roles that are referencing the ALIEN series in some way. She's the big bad in "PAUL" with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen and they take lines from ALIENS. She is the ship's voice in "WALL-E".
I'm sure there are other examples.
The thing is... I think most people can agree that what Prometheus brought to the table was interesting and good but it was the execution of those good interesting ideas that fell short. Prometheus did attempt to expand the universe. The script and plot was damaged. But the ideas it brought to the universe were good. Some may say great.
Also... people talking about Jones showing up... Is that a joke because of how cheesey and corny it is to have a Ripley in the movie to begin with? Cause... Cats are extremely lucky to live past 15. 11 year old Ripley isn't gonna have a kitty Jonesy.
Could quality come out of Ripley's mom being in Covenant? Yes. I can see it going a number of ways in which it could still be good.
1. A Ripley family member makes a cameo appearance.
2. If there is a Ripley in the movie, they die. They sort of have to unless they conveniently get into stasis and don't get out until after the events of ALIENS. Which would be what? Almost 100 years.
I'd rather see a familial connection to another main character if they have to at all. Maybe Dallas' uncle or dad. Hicks' granddad or grandma. If they wanted to have it not be a coincidence. Maybe someone related to Gorman (assuming he's from a military family) or someone related to Burke (assuming his family has always had ties to WY)
I don't see that happening. More likely, the studio will come along some time after Scott is gone and remake the original to move faster and look more contemporary. And it will suck.
For good reason!
50/50 chance. It would not surprise me either way. Ridley claimed there would be a Ripley connection. No one knows what that really means. We're lost in the land of fan theory and speculation. The rumor retraction adds intrigue.
It will only damage the original if Ridley Scott pulls a George Lucas and changes the original cut of Alien to fit in with the prequels. Otherwise, you can always just ignore it and watch the original Alien.
Yeah, might as well. But my alarm bells are ringing.
You've got a point there... it was the website who used the word "spoiler", not Fox.
So, there is still hope that it's not true.
Still hopeful/excited for Blomkamp's Alien V.....
^^this. Its this type of stuff that made Alien's tone so memorable. It was just this monster that could be ancient and, we are unimportant. Drawing too many line between things sinks that ship.
That was a kaiju movie. A certain amunt of silliness is par for the course. It was fine 'til the end, really. Happy Hollywood ending. It would have had more weight with more sacrifice. But Pan's Labyrinth says, when he puts his mind to it, he can do some serious weirdness and brutality. I think he could do a pretty good job with an Alien movie. I'd be interested to see it, anyway.
Media treason? Hmm, it can't be any more treasonous than Resurrection. I don't recall anyone being strung up or otherwise imprisoned/executed for that crime.
I hate the word canon, when it has corporate leanings, which it goes when concerning movie licenses, otherwise known as corporate property. I don't care what Dallas said, I'm not a huge fan of "standard procedure."
All this being said, I don't understand why Ripley's mom has to be in this. It could be anyone aboard the Covenant. Doing it simply to say "Hey, look, it's the mother of the hero to the first movie!" feels--well, someone else compared it to the Belmonts versus Dracula, but part of the appeal of Alien is that you were a nobody in space, just a wheel in the corporate machine. Family or things back home simply weren't part of the equation. It added to the bleakness of the situation.
He also responsible for the horrendously superficial 'Pacific Rim', so, uh... No.
Everything does not need to tie back into ripley and alien.
Give him a chance.
Theres very little room for error when youre dabbling in areas of movie canon, so many IP's have been scarred by lazy, poor or money grabbing tactics in screenwriting. So when something like this pops up it gets folk on edge, and rightly so. Ill bet not once has anyone thought out a little bit of prequel fan fiction in their head and thought...hmmm...ripleys mum should be in this.
I agree people need to wait and see how this pans out, she could either already have Ripley , and leave her on Earth while she goes on mission with Kitty Jonesy (Hence why Ripley has no knowledge of the alien).
We need to wait to see how this pans out. We have waited over 4 years for a sequel don't rush to judge.
Put another way, sans Prometheus, I'm leaving that as more of a prologue; this prequel trilogy is going to lead straight into Alien. Think about how cool it would be if we had the entire Nostromo crew from Alien on board the Covenant? Now that would be asinine but Ripley's mum? Very likely helpful for marketing purposes and I wouldn't put it past Ridley trying to build some sort of character development in these movies to help solidify his B-Movie in the annals of film lore by given her a deeper back story. Could it back fire, sure but having rips mom in Covenant isn't the big deal every one is making it out to be.
In Covenent however, I fail to see how, by adding Her mother, it adds any structural significance to the plot. For a Ripley to be intertwined in this story it just seems too tacked on for the sake of the moniker. It just doesnt make sense at the moment. Saying that, it is early days yet and i guess if they do go down this route then all will become clear...will there be a convincing reason for her inclusion though? That is the biggy.
This is essentially like The Terminator franchise all over again; the Connors were great but we most certainly didn't need them to be centered around every movie. Now that franchise has become as stale and lifeless as the apocalypse it eschews.
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Im out on call at the minute...another bloody acid-burn again. I don't know what these marines were drinking out here but man this stuff is going through metal. Oh look...a funny little dead crab thingy...wait, thats not dead!!
"huuurk...."
Thud.
Welcome to the site.
Since you're here... could you please fix my broken EEV?
I could be proven wrong when the movie comes out and on that day i'll gladly say "yep I was too presumptuous and i'll go stand in the corner for abit", but i'll also be a happy fan.
But currently...my brain is going noooOooOooOOoooo....no need.