Word to the wise: Don’t cross Ripley.

Sigourney Weaver channels iconic Aliens moment as she protects Grogu from Kate Hudson at Oscars

Word to the wise: Don't cross Ripley.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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March 15, 2026 9:58 p.m. ET

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Sigourney Weaver is *very* protective of Grogu.

The actress and sci-fi icon presented the Academy Award for Best Production Design alongside her *Mandalorian and Grogu* costar Pedro Pascal at the Oscars on Sunday — and shared a jokingly tense interaction with Kate Hudson and Grogu from the Dolby Theatre stage.

"Production designers possess a special kind of movie magic that happens long before the cameras roll," Weaver began. "It begins with a sketch, a texture, a doorway, and suddenly, an entire world exists."

Pascal added, "Cities, palaces, entire galaxies."

Weaver responded, "Sometimes even alien worlds that our characters live in."

Grogu, Sigourney Weaver, and Pedro Pascal during the 98th Annual Oscars on March 15 in Hollywood.

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty; Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty

"You've had some experience with those," Pascal said to the *Alien* and *Avatar* star.

"A little," she joked in response. "The good, the bad, and the downright adorable!"

Weaver then blew a kiss to an unseen member of the audience before the camera revealed that it was Grogu (a.k.a. Baby Yoda) himself.

Grogu, who appeared to be a puppet or animatronic, was playfully interacting with his seatmate Hudson, who was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work in *Song Sung Blue*.

Kate Hudson and Grogu at the 2026 Oscars.

Weaver invoked her most famous line from *Aliens* upon seeing Grogu give Hudson a smidge of attention: "Get away from him, you bitch!"

That aggressive demand was a callback to the climax of James Cameron's *Aliens*, wherein Weaver's character, Ripley, demands that the alien queen leave young Newt (Carrie Henn) alone. (The original line is "Get away from her, you bitch!")

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Pascal was impressed by Weaver slipping back into *Aliens* mode.

"Wow, good character recall," he said. "I peed myself a little."

"It's my soft maternal instinct," she responded.

Pascal apologized on behalf of his co-prosenter. "I'm sorry, Kate," he said.

But Weaver remained resolute. "Kate: I stand by it," she threatened.

The duo then presented the production design award to Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau for their work on Guillermo del Toro's *Frankenstein*.

Weaver and Pascal also presented the award for Best Visual Effects, which went to *Avatar: Fire and Ash* — the blockbuster in which Weaver played both Na'vi teenager Kiri and the spirit of human scientist Grace Augustine.

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Pascal will reprise his role as Din Djarin in *The Mandalorian and Grogu*. The film is a continuation of the *Star Wars* Disney+ series *The Mandalorian*. The movie will also see Weaver foray into the *Star Wars* universe for the first time. She's set to play Ward, a military leader for the New Republic.

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Source: “EW Academy”