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Galaxy Quest Sequel Stalled by Rickman's Passing, Cumberbatch Eyed to Replace Him
17 Oct
Summary
- Actress Sigourney Weaver says Galaxy Quest sequel was planned but put on hold after Alan Rickman's death in 2016
- Benedict Cumberbatch was considered to play a version of Rickman's character
- Weaver related more to her comedic role in Galaxy Quest than her iconic Alien character Ripley
In October 2025, actress Sigourney Weaver shared details about a planned Galaxy Quest sequel that never materialized due to the passing of her co-star Alan Rickman in 2016. Weaver, who played Gwen DeMarco in the 1999 sci-fi comedy, said the sequel was "absolutely going to happen" before Rickman's death at age 69 from cancer.
The actress revealed that at one point, Benedict Cumberbatch was considered to play a version of Rickman's character in the follow-up film. "It's very hard to come back to it without Alan there," Weaver lamented. The original Galaxy Quest, directed by Dean Parisot, also starred Tim Allen, Tony Shalhoub, and Sam Rockwell.
Weaver noted that she related more to her comedic role in Galaxy Quest than her famous Alien franchise character Ellen Ripley. "I am much closer to Tawny and Gwen than I am to Ripley," she said, referring to her Galaxy Quest persona. "I related to Gwen because she was a woman in Hollywood who was constantly being judged and evaluated by how she looked all the time."
Despite the failed sequel attempt, there have been other efforts to revisit the cult classic, including a planned live-action TV adaptation by Paramount+ in 2023 and a follow-up movie in 2015 that never materialized.
