July 18th marks the 30th anniversary of Aliens, the action packed sci-fi/horror sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece Alien. The film has become a timeless classic that proves that sequels can be just as good if not better (in some ways) than the original.

To celebrate this event, many of the cast and crew will be coming together at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. The reunion will feature Sigourney Weaver, writer/director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Michael Biehn, and Carrie Henn, according to EW. The event will take place on Saturday, July 23rd on Hall H.

Cameron told EW, “You know, it’s interesting. I don’t normally pursue these kind of nostalgia moments like we’re going to do down at Comic-Con, and I didn’t do it much at all for ‘Terminator’ on its 30th, but there’s something about ‘Aliens’. It was a milestone for myself and Gale because the film got seven Academy Award nominations.”

The nominations were for Best Music, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Actress, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects, of which it won the last two.

Fifty seven years after Ellen Ripley survived her disastrous ordeal, her escape vessel is recovered after drifting across the galaxy as she slept in cryogenic stasis. Back on earth, nobody believed her story about the “Aliens” on the moon LV-426. After the “Company” orders the colony on LV-426 to investigate, however, all communication with the colony is lost. The Company enlists Ripley to aid a team of tough, rugged space marines on a rescue mission to the now partially terraformed planet to find out if there are aliens or survivors. As the mission unfolds, Ripley will be forced to come to grips with her worst nightmare, but even as she does, she finds that the worst is yet to come. [Source]

A 30th anniversary blu-ray for the film has also been announced, although it doesn’t offer too much in the way of new material. It will feature the theatrical and director’s cut of the film as well as “…previously released deleted and extended scenes” and a commentary track.

What is new is that the set will come with, “…collectible art cards featuring concept sketches by Cameron and a book featuring art from the Dark Horse Comics Aliens series.” Pictures of the collection can be seen below.