Synopsis

Two hundred years after Ellen Ripley's death, military scientists clone her in an attempt to recover the Alien Queen once carried inside her. The experiment produces a genetically altered Ripley and a new brood of creatures. When the Aliens escape aboard the research vessel USM Auriga, Ripley joins a band of space pirates in a desperate effort to stop the ship from reaching Earth.

Factoids & Trivia

• Alien Resurrection was filmed at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles from October 1996 through February 1997. It was the first film in the series shot outside England.

• The underwater escape sequence required Fox's Stage 16 to be converted into a tank measuring approximately 36 by 45 meters and holding about 548,000 gallons of water.

• Sigourney Weaver practiced extensively to perform Ripley's famous behind-the-back basketball shot. The completed take was retained after she insisted on attempting it herself.

• The screenplay was written by Joss Whedon. Several elements from his script were changed during production, including the tone and characterization.

• Jean-Pierre Jeunet's alternate cut appeared in the 2003 Alien Quadrilogy DVD set. It restores different opening and closing scenes and several deleted exchanges.

• The film's visual design reflects Jeunet's interest in highly stylized, grotesque imagery, giving the installment a more eccentric look than its predecessors.

• Dom Vriess whistles "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man," a detail acknowledged in the end credits.

• Alien Resurrection earned mixed critical reviews but performed better internationally than in the United States and Canada. It remains the lowest-grossing main Alien film in the latter market.