Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Alien: Romulus.
Summary
Alien: Romulusdirector Fede Álvarez addresses why his film uses the likeness of the late Ian Holm. In the originalAlienfilm directed by Ridley Scott, Holm played Ash, a science officer later revealed to be a synthetic working for the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Ash being an android, along with Lance Henriksen’s Bishop, laid the foundation for the importance of such characters in the franchise, later paving the way for the synthetic androids Michael Fassbender played in Scott’sAlienprequels.
While speaking withVariety,Álvarez explained why he decided to use Holm’s likeness inAlien: Romulusand how he ensured it was done respectfully. He shed light on the conversations he had with Scott about this narrative decision to do justice to Holm and previous stories in the franchise. Álvarez also shared his thoughts on the controversial topic of using late actors' likenesses, and what he thinks is often overlooked amid such controversy. Check out his comments below:
It was out of fairness in a way. I felt it was so unfair that Lance Henriksen made many appearances, and Michael Fassbender. And I felt it was crazy that Ian Holm was never back.
Talking with Ridley, both of us came up with this idea that what if it has the likeness of Ian Holm — which is different from being Ian Holm or even being Ash. We would’ve never dared to reproduce that because you cannot reproduce with any technology, the talent of an actor. you’re able to never capture the nuance of someone’s performance and their choices. So we designed a different character, but it shares the same likeness.
Then the first thing I did was personally call his widow, family and kids to make sure everybody was on board with this idea. His widow told me that Ian felt, in the last 10 years of his life, Hollywood turned a cold shoulder to him and that he didn’t get many offers. And she said he would have loved to be invited back into “Alien,” because he loved Ridley and he loved that franchise.
I remember someone saying, “This is it, they’re going to replace us as actors.” And I said, “Dude, if I hire you, it costs me the money of one person. To make it this way, you have to hire literally 45 people. And you still have to hire an actor who does the performance!”
Using Actors' Likenesses Via CGI Is A Complex Issue
AlienIsn’t The Only Franchise To Deal With This Matter
Alien: Romulusis not the first franchiseto use CGI in depicting the likeness of a late actor or to de-age them.Lucasfilm has done this several times in the past decade, including inStar Warswith Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa, Peter Cushing’s Wilhuff Tarkin, Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, and with Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones inDial of Destiny’s opening sequence.Ghostbusters: Afterlifealso used this approach to depict the ghost of the late Harold Ramis' character, Egon Spengler.
It is a complex matter as it can be a way to honor actors and their enduring contributions to a character or story, but is also ethically dubious. In the case ofHolm inAlien: Romulus, it honors his original performance and impact on the long-running franchise and, as Álvarez points out, it creates new jobs due to the intensive behind-the-scenes work that is required. At the same time,it sets a potentially dangerous precedent for the entertainment industry and its future.
In the cases of Indiana Jones and Luke Skywalker, Ford and Hamill not only gave permission, but were actively part of the process. Even with permission from the families,it feels more ethically questionable in the cases of Holm and other late actors.Alien: Romuluswill not be the last film to use CGI in creating the younger likeness of a late actor, but it raises important questions that creatives in the industry need to further explore and do right by moving forward.
Alien: Romulus
Cast
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
