Alien: Romulus, a critical and box office success, is already slated for a sequel. However, one element consistently criticized was 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 reappearance in Alien: Romulus drew widespread criticism for being distracting and unrealistic, prompting a popular fan edit to completely remove his character.
Director Fede Alvarez addressed the issue, acknowledging time constraints during post-production hampered the CGI quality. He stated to Empire magazine that the final product didn't fully meet his expectations, explaining the negative reactions from viewers.
Alien Film Timeline
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For the home release, Alvarez implemented improvements, emphasizing practical puppetry over CGI. While some improvement is noted, many viewers still find the portrayal distracting, with ongoing debate regarding the necessity of Holm's inclusion.
A Reddit thread (u/Davidedby in LV426) highlights this ongoing discussion. Comments range from noting slight improvement while still deeming it uncanny, to questioning the entire decision to resurrect the character. The consensus seems to be that while alterations were made, the initial execution was so flawed that even the improvements fall short of expectations.
Alien Romulus - Rook CGI Updates BluRay vs Digital
by u/Davidedby in LV426
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Despite the persistent criticism of the Holm CGI, Alien: Romulus's $350 million global box office success and the announcement of a potential sequel, Alien: Romulus 2, with Alvarez possibly returning, demonstrate the franchise's continued vitality.
