Pop quiz: what are the first things that jump into your head when you think of the Alien movies? If you answered some combination of 'the Xenomorph' and 'Sigourney Weaver's Ripley' then, ding ding, top marks. Alien: Earth ticks the 'Xenomorph' box in a big way, but given Ripley isn't part of the show, the mantle of Xeno-slayer-in-chief has fallen to Sydney Chandler's new character, Wendy.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ at a press event in London, Chandler says that while Ripley wasn't a direct influence on her characterisation of Wendy in the series, Weaver's performance was an inspiration in other ways. "I've been a massive fan of the original for a really long time. So, I just held on to the essence of that and the strength that her character gave to me when I was younger," Chandler says, adding that "I don't think you can recreate or try and mirror anything from that original film. It stands on its own, as it should. I just went off the feeling that that film gave me. Kind of how Noah [Hawley, creator] said he went off the feeling of Alien and then allowed his imagination to explode."
