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, is already slated for a sequel. However, one element consistently criticized was the CGI depiction of Ian Holm.

Holm, who passed away in 2020, famously portrayed the android Ash in Ridley Scott's Alien. His controversial CGI reappearance in Alien: Romulus drew widespread criticism for its distracting and unrealistic nature. The effect was so poorly received that a popular fan edit entirely removed Holm's character.

Director Fede Alvarez addressed the issue, acknowledging time constraints in post-production prevented perfecting the CGI. He stated to Empire magazine that he wasn't fully satisfied with certain shots revealing the CGI work. He subsequently rectified this for the home release.

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Alvarez secured additional funding to refine the CGI, resulting in a home release version that utilizes more practical puppetry. While some improvement is noted, many viewers still find the Holm CGI distracting, with ongoing debate about the necessity of his inclusion.

Reddit user u/Davidedby's post comparing the Blu-ray and digital versions sparked discussion. Comments ranged from "Better, but still awfully uncanny" to criticism of the decision to resurrect the character using CGI.

Despite the persistent criticism of the Holm CGI, Alien: Romulus enjoyed considerable box office success, grossing $350 million globally. A sequel, Alien: Romulus 2, is currently under consideration at 20th Century Studios, with Alvarez potentially returning to direct.