‘Alien: Romulus’ Director Says He “Fixed” Controversial Ian Holm Scene for Home Release

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The director of the highly anticipated sequel “Alien: Romulus,” set for release in 2024, disclosed that he utilized the home version to rectify one of the major complaints viewers had concerning the cinematic version. Although the film received critical praise (maintaining a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), some audience members felt uneasy about the return of “Alien’s” Ian Holm using AI technology. However, director Álvarez took note and made amendments to address this concern.

Alvarez discussed with Empire the choice to resurrect Ian Holm through special effects. However, what they actually revived was a humanoid robot from the android series featured in Ridley Scott’s 1979 film. In the movie Alien: Romulus, this robot is named Rook (not Ash), and he holds a grudge against humans who dared to set foot on the Romulus. The director acknowledges that some people might not be pleased with this decision, but attributes it to an incomplete job that was left unfinished.

In the post-production phase, we unfortunately didn’t have enough time to perfect it completely. Some shots, particularly those where the CG effects were noticeable, didn’t meet my 100% satisfaction. Therefore, I understand if some viewers find faults with it.

Luckily, unlike many directors, Álvarez took action by personally overseeing the home release of the film and making adjustments to Holm’s AI resurrection. Specifically, he chose to incorporate more practical effects using puppeteers instead and reduced some scenes that relied heavily on artificial intelligence due to their overt appearance.

I spearheaded the improvements on this project, ensuring a top-notch result for our immediate release. I successfully persuaded the studio to invest wisely, providing ample time for everyone involved to complete their work meticulously. The transformation has been truly remarkable; it’s now significantly improved.

Shane Mahan, the mastermind behind animatronics, created Ian Holm’s animatronic figure using a head cast from “Lord of the Rings,” and this unique model was the only one available. Instead, we opted to go back to the roots and make it more like a puppet. The result is significantly improved.

It’s evident that people are pointing out variations when comparing the digital version on Amazon Prime Video to the enhanced Blu-ray version, as showcased in a side-by-side video shared by an Alien enthusiast on the LV426 subreddit.

The AI Ian Holm Was ‘Alien: Romulus’s Single Mistake

Integrating a well-known character into a sequel when their role is essential for the plot is understandable. However, the controversy surrounding the decision to feature Holm in the movie stemmed from the manner of its execution. Using stock footage wasn’t an effective solution, and his android portrayal needed to align with the fresh narrative. Essentially, they had to find a way to resurrect him for the story.

The major concern about the character was the technology employed, which unfortunately didn’t function perfectly. Remarkably, there are Instagram deepfakes that appear more realistic than the final product, but luckily, these won’t be included in the movie version. Given their history, it’s likely that 20th Century Studios and parent company Disney will thoroughly search for any instances of “deepfake Ian Holm” and remove them.

Interestingly, it’s ironic that Disney, known as the House of Mouse, holds the significant Star Wars intellectual property. On Disney+’s platform, you’ll find only the contentious special edition versions of the original trilogy, which George Lucas re-released in the 1990s. These versions are notorious for their use of technology that sparked intense debates within the film industry. If there’s anything that could be removed, it would be these controversial special editions.

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2025-01-10 23:32