Sigourney Weaver praises Noah Hawley's Alien Earth at TIFF

Sigourney Weaver, the actor best known for playing Ellen Ripley in the Alien films, praised Noah Hawley’s new series Alien Earth on Monday while promoting her latest film at the Toronto International Film Festival, saying the show expands the franchise’s scope and raises questions about the world to come. Weaver told reporters she was "really enjoying" the FX series and called its focus on humanity and future social forces "so much more profound than just an Alien movie."

Alien Earth, which premiered Aug. 12 and is midway through an eight episode run, imagines what happens after a mysterious spacecraft crash lands on Earth carrying dangerous alien specimens. The series follows a young woman played by Sydney Chandler and a group of tactical soldiers who make discoveries that place them directly in the path of a planetary threat. The cast also includes Alex Lawther, Essie Davis, Timothy Olyphant, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay and Adarsh Gourav. New episodes air weekly on FX and stream on Hulu.

Weaver highlighted several elements that set the show apart from earlier franchise entries. She praised Hawley’s human-centered approach and the program's willingness to explore big-picture...