Alien: Romulus, a critical and commercial success, has already spurred a sequel. However, one element widely criticized was the CGI depiction of Ian Holm.
Holm, who passed away in 2020, famously portrayed Ash in Ridley Scott's Alien. His controversial CGI return in Alien: Romulus drew significant negative feedback for its distracting and unrealistic appearance. The effect was so poorly received that a popular fan edit completely removed his character.
Director Fede Alvarez addressed the issue, acknowledging time constraints in post-production as the reason for the subpar CGI in the initial theatrical release. He stated to Empire magazine that improvements were made for the home release, shifting from heavy CGI reliance to incorporate more practical puppetry.
Alien Film Chronological Order
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Alvarez confirmed that additional resources were allocated to refine the CGI for the home release. While the revised version incorporates more puppetry, lessening the reliance on CGI, many viewers still find the result distracting and question the necessity of Holm's inclusion.
Reddit discussions reveal mixed reactions. Users noted improvements but maintained that the Holm portrayal remained uncanny and unnecessary. The consensus points to the initial CGI being fundamentally flawed, limiting the effectiveness of subsequent improvements.
Despite the criticism surrounding Holm's appearance, Alien: Romulus's box office success ($350 million globally) has greenlit a sequel, Alien: Romulus 2, with Alvarez potentially returning to direct.
