Aliens

…in the 1980s and ’90s: Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien Resurrection (1997). Weaver played Ripley in the sequels, which focus on Ripley’s frantic quest to keep the alien lifeforms from reaching Earth. Prometheus (2012), a prequel of sorts directed by Ridley Scott, explores questions regarding the origins of…

…and big-budget pictures followed, including Aliens (1986), a sci-fi thriller starring Sigourney Weaver, and The Abyss (1989), about divers who discover aquatic aliens; both films received the Oscar for best visual effects. Cameron then reteamed with Schwarzenegger on the blockbusters Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and True Lies (1994); the…

2015), the Alien series (1979, 1986, 1992, 1997), and the Jurassic Park series (1993, 1997, 2001, 2015) became major money earners worldwide.

>Aliens (1986). Paxton’s portrayal of an unnerved redneck marine in the latter won him favorable notice. He was also memorable as an obnoxious older brother in John Hughes’s Weird Science (1985) and as a vampire in Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark (1987).

…three other films starring Weaver: Aliens (1986), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination for best actress; Alien 3 (1992), directed by David Fincher; and Alien: Resurrection (1997).