Fede Alvarez's Alien: Romulus may have been one of the biggest horror hits of 2024, but it certainly wasn't without its detractors, mainly noting the CGI techniques to digitally resurrect the late Ian Holm as the android Rook.
Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Aileen Wu, Isabela Merced and Archie Renaux, and produced by original Alien director Ridley Scott, Alien: Romulus became the highest-grossing IMAX horror film of all time upon release in August 2024. Permission to use the likeness of Holm, who played the android Ash in Scott's 1979 original, was given by his estate.
But speaking in a new interview with Empire Magazine, Alvarez admits that the final result wasn't quite what he had envisioned:
We just ran out of time in post-production to get it right […] I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with some of the shots, where you could feel a bit more the CG intervention. So, for people that react negatively, I don’t blame them.
Alvarez goes on to say that the home entertainment release of Alien: Romulus addresses these concerns:
We fixed it […] We made it better for the release right now. I convinced the studio we need to spend the money and make sure we give the companies that were involved in making it the proper time to finish it and do it right. It’s so much better.
[Animatronic puppeteer] Shane Mahan actually did this animatronic of Ian Holm based on a head cast from Lord Of The Rings, and that was the only one in existence […] What we did [for the home entertainment version] was revert a lot more to the puppet. It’s way better.
With an Alien: Romulus sequel in active development, only time will tell if Alvarez and co. once again use Holm's likeness, or if they'll go a different route when portraying the androids that make up the Alien universe.
Head over to Empire Magazine to read the full interview.
