Alien: Romulus CGI Fix Fails to Impress Fans

Alien: Romulus, a critical and box office success, spawned a sequel, but one element drew widespread criticism: the CGI depiction of Ian Holm. Holm, famed for his role as Ash in Ridley Scott's Alien, controversially returned via CGI in this "interquel," resulting in distracting and unrealistic visuals that prompted a fan-edit removing his character entirely.

Director Fede Alvarez acknowledged the shortcomings, stating in an Empire interview that post-production time constraints hindered achieving optimal results. He admitted dissatisfaction with certain shots where CGI intervention was noticeable. For the home release, however, Alvarez secured additional funding to refine the CGI, shifting towards a greater reliance on practical puppetry.

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Alvarez confirmed improvements for the home release, emphasizing a more polished final product. This revised version utilizes more puppetry, minimizing the overt CGI. However, fan reactions remain mixed. While some note a slight improvement, many still find Holm's appearance distracting, questioning the necessity of his inclusion. Reddit discussions highlight this continued dissatisfaction, with comments ranging from "Better, but still awfully uncanny" to criticisms of the overall decision to resurrect the character digitally.

A comparison reveals that the home release strategically frames shots to showcase more of the practical puppet, reducing the prominence of the CGI face. Despite the revisions, the sentiment persists that the initial effort was fundamentally flawed, limiting the potential for improvement.

Nevertheless, Alien: Romulus enjoyed significant box office success, grossing $350 million globally. A sequel, Alien: Romulus 2, is in development at 20th Century Studios, with Alvarez potentially returning to direct.