Sigourney Weaver on Alien, Ghostbusters, Avatar

Sigourney Weaver has said that science fiction movies "don't get enough respect" when it comes to major awards recognition.

The Alien star, who features in Neill Blomkamp's new film Chappie, suggested that older Academy members were averse to nominating sci-fi movies for Oscars.

"It is a genre that I think doesn't get enough respect when you consider how many issues sci-fi brings up that we need to deal with," said Weaver, who won a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Aliens.

"I think part of it is the Academy is mostly people like me who are over a certain age and they're still probably looking for the more conventional movie. I think all that's going to change because some of the work being done in sci-fi is some of the most interesting, provocative work out there."

Astrid Stawiarz



Blomkamp, whose 2009 breakthrough District 9 earned a Best Picture nomination, added he hoped a new 'assisted' acting category would be introduced to take into account performance capture technology.

The titular robot in Chappie was created using Sharlto Copley's voice and movement as a base.

"I think the technology is relatively new, but I think a 100-year-old system of ranking actors' performances is left far behind where we're actually at," the filmmaker told Digital Spy.

20th Century Fox

Sony Pictures



"There is a combination of his performance allowing animators to drive elements of his body that he doesn't have control over like Chappie's ears. Absolutely there should be a new [Oscars] category: Caesar is Andy Serkis and Chappie is Sharlto."

Chappie will open in cinemas on March 6.

Blomkamp and Weaver will reunite for an Alien sequel, which picks up after the events of James Cameron's Aliens.

Watch the pair talk to DS about the film below:

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