The most controversial aspect of Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus last year was the use of late actor/original Alien star Ian Holm’s likeness in the film, with the digitally resurrected Holm playing an android named Rook, the same model as his character Ash from Ridley Scott’s original classic. The effects work for the uncanny cameo, well, it left much to be desired.
Turns out, even Fede Alvarez wasn’t happy with how the digital necromancy in Alien: Romulus turned out. As he explains to Empire, the effects were retooled for the home video release.
“We just ran out of time in post-production to get it right,” Alvarez tells Empire. “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.”
“We fixed it,” he continues. “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.”
After hearing official confirmation (though, it’s obvious) that they tried fixing the Rook CGI in ALIEN: ROMULUS for the blu-ray release, I thought I’d compare the digital release and the blu-ray and… yeah. Quite a difference, but I’m not overly impressed either. pic.twitter.com/7HXPvzNjqi
— Luke Ryan (@RazorwireRyan) January 10, 2025
With approval from Ian Holm’s estate, the actor was brought back to the screen through a combination of animatronics and digital effects, with the digital effects ultimately being overused atop the animatronic puppet that had been built. As Alvarez explains to Empire, “What we did [for the new home entertainment release] was revert a lot more to the puppet.”
That animatronic was created by Shane Mahan, who used a life cast of Ian Holm from The Lord of the Rings back in 1999. “From that head cast,” Fede Alvarez explains in a featurette you can watch below, “we started building the animatronic, to make sure the likeness was uncanny.”
CGI was then used particularly for the eyes and mouth of the animatronic, the team augmenting the practical effects with digital effects. Now that the home video release of the movie reverts back more to the original practical effects, Alvarez says it looks “way better.”
Decide for yourself. Alien: Romulus is now available on Digital and physical media.