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

The recent release of *Alien: Romulus* has been a resounding success, captivating both critics and fans alike, and its impressive box office haul of $350 million has paved the way for a sequel. However, one element of the film that received widespread criticism was the CGI used to bring back the late Ian Holm, who played the android Ash in the original *Alien* movie. Holm's CGI character in *Alien: Romulus* was widely criticized for being both distracting and unrealistic, leading to a popular fan-edit that completely removed his character from the film.

Director Fede Alvarez acknowledged the backlash and, in an interview with Empire, admitted that time constraints in post-production prevented the team from perfecting the CGI. 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."

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In response to the criticism, Alvarez made significant efforts to improve the CGI for the home release of *Alien: Romulus*. 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." The updated version leans more towards practical puppet work, reducing the reliance on CGI.

Despite these improvements, fans remain divided on the effectiveness of the changes. Many have noted a slight improvement, but some still find Holm's appearance distracting. On Reddit, user Kwtwo1983 commented, "Better, but still awfully uncanny… and for no sound reason," while thelastcupoftea suggested, "Should’ve messed his face up much more." Smug_amoeba remarked, "Still such a needless and distracting part of the movie…," and Worried_Bowl_9489 noted, "Both look bad and one is a bit darker lol."

Comparisons between the theatrical and home release versions show a more subdued CGI face and greater emphasis on practical effects. TheUrPigeon expressed strong sentiments, stating, "Let's be real, it's still awful and garish to resurrect a dead man so needlessly. They can only improve upon it so much because the initial effort was so poor."

Despite the CGI controversy, *Alien: Romulus* has revitalized the franchise, and 20th Century Studios announced in October that they are developing *Alien: Romulus 2*, with Fede Alvarez potentially returning to direct.