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Alien Resurrection is a 1997 science fiction horror film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, written by Joss Whedon, and starring Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder. It is the fourth installment of the Alien franchise and was filmed at the 20th Century Fox studios in Los Angeles, California.

Set 200 years after the preceding installment Alien³ (1992), Ellen Ripley is cloned and an Alien Queen is surgically removed from her body. The United Systems Military hopes to breed Aliens to study and research on the spaceship USM Auriga, using human hosts kidnapped and delivered to them by a group of mercenaries. The Aliens escape their enclosures, while Ripley and the mercenaries attempt to escape and destroy the Auriga before it reaches its destination: Earth. Additional roles are played by Ron Perlman, Dan Hedaya, J. E. Freeman, Brad Dourif, and Michael Wincott.

Alien Resurrection was released on November 26, 1997, by 20th Century Fox, and grossed $47.8 million in North America, the least successful of the Alien series on that continent. The film was well received internationally, however, with a gross of $113.6 million, bringing its total gross to $161.4 million. It was the 43rd-highest-grossing film in North America in 1997, eleven spots lower than Anastasia, another 20th Century Fox film. The film was nominated for six Saturn Awards (including Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actress for Weaver, Best Supporting Actress for Ryder, and Best Direction for Jeunet).

A sequel to Resurrection was planned as Joss Whedon had written an Earth-set script for Alien 5, though Sigourney Weaver was not interested in this setting, but has remained open to reprising her role as Ellen Ripley for a fifth installment on the condition that she likes the story. Although more sequels were planned to follow Resurrection, they were ultimately abandoned as the crossover series arrived with the 2004 film Alien vs. Predator, along with the prequel series including the 2012 film Prometheus directed by Ridley Scott, who stated that the film precedes the story of Alien, but is not directly connected to the original film's franchise, and that Prometheus explores its own mythology and ideas. The storylines of Resurrection have been continued in the comic series Aliens versus Predator versus The Terminator and books Aliens: Original Sin and Alien: Sea of Sorrows.

Plot[]

Two hundred years after the events of Alien³, United Systems Military scientists on the space vessel USM Auriga create a clone of Ellen Ripley, designated Ripley 8, using DNA from blood samples taken before her death. The Xenomorph queen's DNA has been combined with Ripley's, so the clone grows up with an embryo inside it. The scientists extract the embryo, raise it, and collect its eggs while keeping Ripley 8 alive for further study. As a result of the Xenomorphs' DNA inside her, the clone has enhanced strength and reflexes, somewhat acidic blood, and a psychic link with the Xenomorphs. Additionally, the Xenomorph's genetic memory allows the clone to have some of Ripley's memories.

A group of mercenaries consisting of Frank Elgyn, Johner, Christie, Dom Vriess, Sabra Hillard, and Annalee Call arrives at Auriga on their ship Betty. They deliver several kidnapped humans in stasis. The military scientists use the humans as hosts for the aliens, raising several adult Xenomorphs for study.

The Betty crew soon encounters Ripley 8. Annalee Call recognizes her name and tries to kill her, suspecting that Ripley 8 may be used to create Xenomorphs, but the creatures have already been cloned. The now mature Xenomorphs, being aware of their blood's acidic properties from the aforementioned genetic memory, escape confinement by killing off one of their own to use its acidic blood to burn through their enclosures. They then capture Dr. Jonathan Gediman and kill a second scientist. They damage the Auriga and kill some of those people who failed to evacuate, including General Martin Perez and Elgyn. Another crew member is captured and cocooned for eggmorphing. Military scientist Dr. Mason Wren reveals that the ship's default command in an emergency is to return to Earth. Realizing that this will unleash the Xenomorphs on Earth, Ripley 8, the mercenaries, Wren, a Marine named Vincent DiStephano, and surviving Xenomorph host Larry Purvis, decide to head for the Betty and use it to destroy the Auriga. Along the way, Ripley 8 discovers a laboratory containing the grotesque results of the previous seven failed attempts to clone Ellen Ripley. The surviving one begs Ripley 8 to euthanize her; she complies and then incinerates the lab and its contents.

As the group makes their way through the damaged ship, they swim through a flooded kitchen. They are chased by two Xenomorphs. One is killed, while the other snatches Hillard. As they escape the kitchen, the Xenomorph returns and blinds Christie, who sacrifices himself to kill the Xenomorph, so the others can escape. After Wren betrays the group, Call is revealed to be an auton, an improved version of a human created by synthetics. Using her ability to interface with the Auriga's systems, Call sets it on a collision course with Earth, hoping to destroy the Xenomorphs in the crash. She cuts off Wren's escape route and directs the Xenomorphs towards him. Ripley 8 is captured by a Xenomorph, while the others head for the Betty. Wren, who is already aboard, shoots Purvis, takes Call hostage and demands that she abort the collision. An injured Purvis attacks Wren and forces Wren's head to his chest just as the Xenomorph embryo that he is carrying bursts through his ribcage, causing it to go through Wren's head too, killing them both. The survivors shoot and kill the juvenile Xenomorph.

Ripley is taken to the Alien nest, where she finds Gediman, still alive and partially cocooned. The Alien Queen, having developed a uterus as a result of her genetic contamination with Ripley 8, gives birth to a Xenomorph with overtly human traits. Unable to bond with the Queen, the hybrid Xenomorph recognizes Ripley 8 as its mother, so it kills the Alien Queen and Gediman. Ripley 8 takes advantage of the distraction to escape and makes her way to the Betty.

The "Newborn Alien" reaches the Betty and attacks Call, killing Distephano when he tries to help her. Ripley 8 finds her way onto the ship and saves Call by distracting the hybrid. Using her acidic blood, Ripley 8 melts a hole in a window and pushes the hybrid towards it. The decompression violently blows the creature through the hole and out into space, killing it as Ripley 8 tearfully watches on.

The countdown on the Auriga continues as the survivors escape in the Betty. The Auriga collides with Earth, causing a large explosion. As they look down at Earth, Call asks what Ripley 8 wants to do next. "I don't know. I'm a stranger here myself", she replies.

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