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

Director Fede Alvarez addressed the issue, admitting time constraints hindered the CGI work in post-production. He stated, "We just ran out of time in post-production to get it right. I wasn’t 100% 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.”

For the home release, Alvarez rectified this, stating, "We fixed it. 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.” The home release utilizes more practical puppetry, reducing the reliance on CGI.

However, fan reaction remains mixed. While some acknowledge improvement, many still find Holm's appearance distracting, with some questioning the necessity of his inclusion. Reddit discussions highlight this ongoing debate, with comments ranging from "Better, but still awfully uncanny… and for no sound reason" to "Still such a needless and distracting part of the movie…"

The home release version does minimize the prominent CGI face, showcasing more of the practical puppetry Alvarez described. Nevertheless, the sentiment persists that the initial CGI work was fundamentally flawed, limiting the potential for improvement.

Despite this controversy, 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.