10. James Cameron Was Asked To Write A Script Without Ripley
There are a number of factors which made the original Alien so impressive, from H R Giger's stunning creature design to Ridley Scott's tight, economical direction, but perhaps the most essential cog in the wheel was the character Ellen Ripley, as portrayed to perfection by Sigourney Weaver. Aa the time of its release, the idea of an Alien franchise movie without this character didn't bear thinking about (and we've seen since what can happen when you leave her out). But this is precisely what 20th Century Fox proposed to James Cameron during the pre-production phase of Aliens. While Sigourney Weaver was initially skeptical about appearing in the sequel, her concerns were alleviated upon reading Cameron's screenplay - the studio, however, had other ideas. A dispute with the actress over payment led them to approach the writer-director and ask that he write a version of the script in which Ripley doesn't appear. Fortunately he refused, having signed on to the project on the understanding that Ripley would play a central role, and after some negotiations Weaver and the studio struck a deal and her part was secured.
