Alien: Romulus 'Fixed' Terrible Ian Holm CGI for Home Release but Fans Still Think It’s Pretty Bad

Alien: Romulus, a critical and box office success, spawned a sequel, but one element drew widespread criticism: the CGI depiction of Ian Holm. Holm, famed for his role as Ash in Ridley Scott's Alien, returned via CGI in this "interquel," resulting in distracting and unrealistic visuals, prompting a popular fan edit to remove his character entirely.

Director Fede Alvarez addressed the issue, admitting time constraints in post-production led to unsatisfactory results. 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, however, Alvarez implemented improvements. He explained, “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.” This involved shifting the focus from CGI to more practical puppetry.

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Despite these improvements, fan reactions remain mixed. While acknowledging some 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 criticisms of the initial CGI work's poor quality. Comparisons reveal the home release utilizes more practical effects, minimizing the overt CGI.

However, despite the controversy, Alien: Romulus achieved significant box office success, grossing $350 million globally. A sequel, Alien: Romulus 2, is currently in development at 20th Century Studios, with Alvarez potentially returning to direct.