"Alien: Romulus" Used AI to Bring Back Dead Actor

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The "Alien" horror franchise returns with another major release. As with many post-"Aliens" entries, the new film has already sparked lively debate among fans and critics.

Story and Setting

Technically, "Alien: Romulus," which hit US theaters last week, serves as an interquel. It unfolds between the events of the first and second films, following a fresh group of spacefarers who encounter the iconic Xenomorph.

Digital Resurrection and Controversy

In a nod to the original "Alien," the movie employs what some online voices have labeled "digital necromancy" to recreate the likeness of the late British actor Ian Holm. Holm, who portrayed the android Ash in the 1979 classic, passed away in 2020. His appearance is used here to depict another synthetic character named Rook.

The decision drew immediate attention once fans learned of the cameo. A fresh detail about the production process has now intensified the discussion.

According to a Los Angeles Times interview with the filmmakers, generative AI was applied to adjust the voice of actor Daniel Betts—who performed Rook—to more closely resemble Holm’s.

Many viewers have expressed discomfort, underscoring ongoing debates about AI’s expanding role in film and other creative fields.

"There is zero reason for this character to be [Holm]," one fan wrote on X. "This just hurts everyone."

With All Due Respect

Director Fede Álvarez addressed the choice in the same interview. He explained that the majority of Rook’s performance originated from an animatronic puppet modeled after Holm and operated by puppeteers. CGI refinements, facial capture from Betts, and the AI-enhanced voice completed the effect.

"We’re not bringing someone back to life and saying, ‘Ian would have done it that way,’" Álvarez told the LA Times. "He would have obviously done it differently. We had an actor who was on the set, who worked on the dialogue, who worked with the actors. It’s not like we skipped hiring an actor."

Álvarez noted that Holm’s family approved the use of his likeness, framing the choice as a respectful tribute to the actor’s legacy in the franchise.

"We did it all with a lot of respect and always with the authorization of his family, his children and his widow, who said, ‘We would love to see his likeness again,’" he told the newspaper.

Broader Context

"Romulus" is not the first major film to employ digital techniques to recreate deceased performers, nor is it the first to incorporate generative AI. Yet the combination of both technologies in a high-profile release has renewed concerns about AI’s impact on creative industries. These include questions around job displacement for actors and artists, the ethical use of a performer’s image after death, and unresolved copyright issues.

Arguably, this marks one of the most prominent applications of generative AI in a mainstream blockbuster to date. As a result, "Romulus" may serve as an early indicator of how the technology will be adopted in future productions.

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