Alien: Romulus Director Fixes CGI Issues

Director Fede Álvarez has addressed the controversy surrounding the CGI resurrection of the late Ian Holm in his film Alien: Romulus, acknowledging that the initial portrayal of the android character Rook was not well-received due to its lack of realism. In a recent interview, Álvarez explained that time constraints during post-production resulted in subpar CGI, leading to negative reactions from viewers. To remedy this, the home release features improved effects, including more practical animatronic work overseen by puppeteer Shane Mahan, which Álvarez feels enhances the character significantly. The decision to use Holm's likeness was made with the permission of his estate, linking Rook to the original Alien film's android Ash. Despite the film achieving critical acclaim and becoming a box office success, the CGI issue highlighted the challenges of using digital effects for legacy characters. As a sequel is already in development, it remains to be seen how the filmmakers will approach the portrayal of androids in the Alien universe moving forward.