'Alien: Romulus' Hires New CGI after Backlash from Fans

Alien: Romulus, a critical and commercial success, has already spurred a sequel. However, one element drew near-universal criticism: the CGI depiction of Ian Holm.

Holm, who passed away in 2020, famously portrayed the android Ash in Ridley Scott's Alien. His controversial CGI return in Alien: Romulus was widely criticized as distracting and unrealistic, prompting a popular fan edit to entirely remove his character.

Director Fede Alvarez addressed the issue, acknowledging time constraints in post-production led to imperfections in the theatrical release. He stated to Empire magazine that the CGI intervention was noticeable in some shots.

Alien Film Timeline

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For the home release, Alvarez implemented improvements, emphasizing practical puppetry over CGI. While some consider this an improvement, many still find the portrayal distracting, with some questioning the decision to include Holm's character at all. Reddit discussions highlight this persistent dissatisfaction. A comparison reveals the home release utilizes more practical effects, minimizing the overt CGI.

Despite the ongoing debate, Alien: Romulus's box office success ($350 million globally) and the announcement of a potential sequel, Alien: Romulus 2, with Alvarez potentially returning, demonstrate the franchise's enduring appeal. The negative reaction to the CGI, however, underscores the challenges of posthumous digital character recreation.