Alien: Romulus - The return of Ian Holm as an android

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There was to be another android character who would be named Rook, as if in response to the name of the character Bishop as a chess piece. 

It was only going to be a torso and head that we would build, it didn't need to have the likeness of a current working actor, and originally it was written as a random synthetic woman science officer,

The question came up “What face does it have? Who is it?’

As Fede and Ridley were talking with one another, Ridley said  "Ash was always the best. He needs to make a comeback"

They agreed about how he felt that while Bishop and David the androids had returned in later films, (Fede took Bishop 2 to also be an android)  Ash, the original android, played by Ian Holm, was the one who had never come back and was the best of them all.

  1. Fede Alvarez: It was unfair that the likeness of Ash was never used again. Lance Henriksen has been used a few times. Michael Fassbender got to do it a few times, So when we started thinking about the likeness of this character with Ridley, it was going to be a torso [and head] that we would build. So it didn’t need to be the likeness of a current working actor, and Ridley was the one who said, "Ash was always the best. He needs to make a comeback" So we went for it with the permission of the family: his widow and all of his kids. We wanted to make sure everybody was on board with the idea of bringing his likeness back.(https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/alien-romulus-ending-offspring-fede-alvarez-1235978411)
  2. Fede Alvarez: Historically, there’s just a limited amount of synthetics, and that’s why some come back a few times, So we were talking, and Ridley and I felt like the one that has never been back was the best one of them all, the original model played by Ian Holm. (https://ew.com/how-alien-romulus-resurrected-ian-holm-8695189)
  3. Fede Alvarez: We knew we were going to create an animatronic, and that later we were going to do CGI enhancements in the mouth and in the eyes depending on the shots. “Then the question arose, ‘What face does it have? Who is it?’”(https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-08-19/fede-alvarez-ridley-scott-resurrected-ian-holm-ai-alien-romulus-interview)
  4. Fede Alvarez: The only one who hadn’t reappeared and who we found fascinating was Ian Holm,(https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-08-19/fede-alvarez-ridley-scott-resurrected-ian-holm-ai-alien-romulus-interview)
  5. LA Weekly: The Rook Animatronic is a stellar example of how the marriage between practical and visual effects can create a successful illusion for the audience. Originally written as a random synthetic woman science officer, Legacy Effects simply would have just done a half-body torso makeup on a non-specific actress, and she would have acted like a torn-apart robot.

    (https://www.laweekly.com/building-nightmares-shane-mahan-gives-a-behind-the-scenes-dive-into-the-special-effects-of-alien-romulus/)

  6. Jack King: When did you decide to use Ian Holm’s likeness for Rook?

    Fede Alvarez: We knew we were gonna build an animatronic … [and] that it was gonna be on the table, that it was gonna be able to move, drag itself. It was gonna be a real robot, I wasn’t just going to put a person through the desk pretending they’re half a person.

    So once we made that decision, it could have any likeness we could think of. And so, with Ridley, together we came up with this idea that it should be from the same assembly line as Ash from the first film. Lance Henriksen—Bishop, from [Aliens]—got to play different synthetics in different movies, and even Michael Fassbender did it twice. And it was crazy that Ian Holm, the best one of them all, never made [another] appearance. [Ridley] was really close with Ian, and believed he would be on board. (https://www.gq.com/story/alien-cameo-director-fede-alvarez)  (https://www.gq.com/story/alien-cameo-director-fede-alvarez)

 

b) Contacting Ian Holm's estate

This ability of filmmakers to bring dead actors back to the screen through technology is still relatively new, so it was a priority for Álvarez to check in with Holm’s family.  

Fede called Ian Holm's estate and talked with his widow.

She felt that Ian was given the cold shoulder by Hollywood in the last years of his life, that he would've loved to be part of more projects after The Hobbit, but he wasn't. 

She thought that he would have loved to get that call, to get invited back to Alien, because he loved that character, and he loved the franchise.

So she was thrilled about the idea of having him back. 

Fede made sure that she talked with all the kids, and that everybody was fine with this plan. 

  1. Fede Alvarez:The whole thing started with me calling the estate and talking with his widow, She felt that Ian was given the cold shoulder by Hollywood in the last years of his life, that he would've loved to be part of more projects after The Hobbit, but he wasn't. So she was thrilled about the idea of having him back. (https://ew.com/how-alien-romulus-resurrected-ian-holm-8695189)
  2. Fede Alvarez: I called his widow and the estate, and we pitched them the idea, and [made] sure that she talked with all the kids, and that everybody was fine with this plan. … She told me that Ian was given the cold shoulder by Hollywood in the last ten years of his life, and he would have loved to get that call, to get invited back to Alien, because he loved that character, and he loved the franchise. (https://www.gq.com/story/alien-cameo-director-fede-alvarez)
     

  

c) Ian Holm as Rook the android

Ian Holm's likeness would be used but the android being different would have a different demeanor.  It's not Ash, but it's the same model, as if it were a mass produced synthetic version of the same character

Fede realised that there would be a whole generation of viewers that would watch this movie and find that this character meant little to them.

However those who saw the original Alien would know that an android who looked like Ian Holm should not be trusted 

In Romulus, the android steers the group of young people astray, as completing his mission for the corporation is still hardwired as his top priority.

But Rook does behave in a way that is supposed to be actually very honest. He would rarely lie to anybody, scheme or try to con someone into doing something that they don't want to do. Fede wrote him as a character is doing what he would argue was right and good

Fede had fun with the idea that the audience would be asking "Is he going to be more like Ash, or is going to be more like Bishop?"

This and the question of how our prejudice against synthetics in the Alien world makes the audience suspicious straight away and not trust him  

In Fede's Alien universe, Rook and Ash have the same knowledge because it’s all a part of the Mother computer.

These androids are the same consciousness of Mother that moved from one android to the other. 

  1. Fede Alvarez: He has the likeness, but he has a different demeanor. Rook and Ash have the same knowledge because it’s all Mother, It's a different android, but it's the same consciousness of Mother that moved from one android to the other.  (https://ew.com/how-alien-romulus-resurrected-ian-holm-8695189)
  2. Fede Alvarez: Rook is a different character, but I play with your prejudice because fans of the original know that face. There’s also a whole generation [of new viewers] that are going to watch this movie and the character is not going to mean much to them. They’re not going to feel that effect, but for the ones who’ve seen the original, they know that he shouldn’t be trusted. But he does behave in a way that is actually very honest. He’s rarely lying to anybody or scheming or trying to con someone into doing something they don’t want to do. He’s actually pretty straightforward, but that’s the line that was fun to play: “Is he going to be more like Ash, or is going to be more like Bishop?” That’s the beauty of this and how our prejudice against synthetics in the Alien world makes us suspicious right off the bat and not trust him. And Andy goes through the same process, so the whole movie works because of that prejudice. You’re like, “Is Andy going to be Bishop? Is he going to be Ash?” So it’s the same with Andy, and hopefully people will get all that and enjoy the journey of these two synthetics together. (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/alien-romulus-ending-offspring-fede-alvarez-1235978411)
  3. Fede Alvarez: A xenomorph is a lifeform that wants to reproduce and survive. Even the characters representing the company [Weyland-Yutani] – I could argue all day that what they’re doing is actually right and good. I never write villains in my movies. (https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/64386/1/is-alien-romulus-fede-alvarez-dont-breathe-space)

 

d) Use of Animatronics, CG, etc

d.i) Animatronic puppet by Legacy effects

The creation of Rook was achieved through a combination of animatronic and CG built to resemble Holm

Mahan and his crew loved the idea of bringing the notorious synthetic back to reprise such a devious role, but once the excitement died down, they realized that they faced a great challenge: not only has the actor who originally played Ash, Ian Holm, sadly passed on, but also, any remaining molds of his head from the original movie are currently nowhere to be found.

What started out as one of the greatest obstacles on the project surprisingly provided the space to create one of Mahan’s proudest achievements in the movie. Although the age would be about fifty years off, the gang managed to track down a mold of Holm’s head from far on the other side of the world.  

So the Legacy Effects that did the animatronic started the headcast. 

They had created a puppet that talked, and it was all based on an Ian Holm headcast that they found that was made for The Lord of the Rings, (although as far as Mahan was aware, it was one of the Hobbit films0 . Curiously it was the only headcast that existed of Ian Holm, and he was was 77 years old when it was done, so it was not quite what they had in mind.

At least it gave them the proportions of where everything was , where his ears were in relation to his nose, his chin and his forehead.

Doing some further research, they found his body type was very close to their partner here, Lindsay Macgowan‘s. So,they lifecasted Lindsay in a sitting position, and then Andy Bergholtz did a portrait sculpture in clay from photographs using the basis of the life cast that they were given. 

Perhaps they even did a clay pour of that lifecast, carved down, and did the best they could from photos and measurements. They scanned that, put that into the computer and the design team (led by Scott Patton) digitally did another pass at it to get it even cleaner. 

Then they added digital enhancements to help make it come alive. Mahan think ultimately in the end, it’s rather remarkable. It’s a very satisfying thing to resurrect an actor from 1979, the way he looked in 1979, and have him be in this movie.”   

d.ii) Performing on the set

They had actor Daniel Betts performing his lines, and work with with the actors on set. His lines and facial performance were used in the animatronic puppet,  

The voice of the actor, with 'EQ' and a bunch of technology was transformed by the sound department to make it sound like Ian Holm

d.iii) Digital enhancements by Metaphysic

Some of shots needed more help from CG for the lip sync and the lines. But there are some shots with no digital enhancementst and they are where the viewers are literally looking straight at the animatronic.

Digital enhancements were made by Metaphysic to the puppet.

So it was a combination of these things, and while Fede didn’t know exactly what they did, but was aware at least that it was a whole bag of tricks from 1970s and 1980s technology to technology from yesterday.

He could understand that a combination of CG and the headscan was used. There might even have been some deepfake in the eyes because it was seen as the best when it came to creating the likeness of the eyes.

  1. Entertainment Weekly: The creation of Rook was achieved through a combination of animatronics built to resemble Holm and actor Daniel Betts performing his lines. This ability of filmmakers to bring dead actors back to the screen through technology is still relatively new, so it was a priority for Álvarez to check in with Holm’s family.   (https://ew.com/how-alien-romulus-resurrected-ian-holm-8695189)
  2. Hollywood Reporter: What additional tech was used for Rook? Deepfake/AI? CG face replacement? 
    Fede Alvarez: Metaphysic is the company that did a lot of the work on the enhancements to the puppet. We had a puppet that talked, and it was all based on an Ian Holm headcast that we found. It was made for The Lord of the Rings, and that was the only headcast that exists of Ian Holm. So the Legacy [Effects] guys that did the animatronic started there, and then some shots needed more help from CG for the lip sync and the lines. But there are some others that didn’t. There are some shots where you are literally looking straight at the animatronic. So it was a combination of things, and while I don’t know exactly what they do, I am sure it is a combination of CG and the headscan. There might be some deepfake in the eyes because it’s the best when it comes to creating the likeness of the eyes, but it’s a whole bag of tricks from 1970s and 1980s technology to technology from yesterday.(https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/alien-romulus-ending-offspring-fede-alvarez-1235978411)
  3. Fede Alvarez: And then it was this whole journey of trying to see how we were going to do it. But we found a head cast of Ian Holm from ‘99, from The Lord of the Rings, and that’s when we started to put it together.  (https://www.gq.com/story/alien-cameo-director-fede-alvarez)

  4. Jack King: So it was predominantly a practical effect?

    Fede Alvarez: Yeah, you have him there on set, that’s what the actors worked with all the time. … It’s a very unique technique. It takes a lot of people. The massive team that it took to put it together, it’s incredible.

    We had Daniel Betts, a great actor that actually performed the lines, and worked with the actors on set; the lines and the facial performance that was translated into the animatronic, and then the CG part of it all as well. So it was a whole undertaking.

    Jack King: Was the voice an impersonation?

    Fede Alvarez: It was the voice of the actor, Daniel Betts, with EQ and a bunch of technology—you’d have to ask the sound guys—that [made] it sound like Ian Holm.

    Jack King: It was also rumoured that AI was used. Is that correct?

    Fede Alvarez: The thing is, I guess, for the discussion today—and I’m not a computer engineer, but I did actually [go] to college for computer engineering before I went to film school, so I have a good understanding of how technology works—it’s all computers. As far as I know, some expert can say otherwise, but it’s all computer language.

    (https://www.gq.com/story/alien-cameo-director-fede-alvarez)
  5. Jack King: Was the voice an impersonation?Fede Alvarez: It was the voice of the actor, Daniel Betts, with EQ and a bunch of technology—you’d have to ask the sound guys—that [made] it sound like Ian Holm.(https://www.gq.com/story/alien-cameo-director-fede-alvarez)

  6. Nick Chen: Perhaps it’s fitting for Alien: Romulus, a film largely about AI, that it has an unannounced character who appears to have been produced by AI. Was that the case? 

    Fede Alvarez: You have to ask the people that created it what technology they used. But it was a mix. We had a real animatronic that moved, talked, and interacted with the actors. When it came to the lip sync, it needed some CG. But some shots in the movie are literally an animatronic.

    (Álvarez takes out his phone, logs into his personal Dropbox, and shows Nick Chen photos of concept art, a head cast, and a moving puppet.)

    Fede Alvarez : It was quite an endeavour. We had to hire an actor to do the voice.

    Nick Chen: But was it done with AI?

    Fede Alvarez: I’m sure it might have something based on the first movie – the eyes and stuff like that. But, look, AI and CG, it’s all the same. People like to draw a line, and be like, ‘Is it AI?’ It’s the same. It’s computers. It’s different languages. You create a CG face. AI is a tool that takes photos of the CG, and rearranges it. It’s computer-generated graphics. You can call it whatever you want. It’s technically no different.  (https://www.dazeddigital.com/film-tv/article/64386/1/is-alien-romulus-fede-alvarez-dont-breathe-space)

  7. LA Weekly: The Rook Animatronic is a stellar example of how the marriage between practical and visual effects can create a successful illusion for the audience. Originally written as a random synthetic woman science officer, Legacy Effects simply would have just done a half-body torso makeup on a non-specific actress, and she would have acted like a torn-apart robot. As it were, Álvarez conjured up the idea of making the android look like the same model as Ash from the first Alien. As Mahan discloses, “It’s not Ash, but it’s the same model,” like a mass produced synthetic version of the same character. In Romulus, the android steers the teens astray, as completing his mission for the corporation is still hardwired as his top priority. Mahan and his crew loved the idea of bringing the notorious synthetic back to reprise such a devious role, but once the excitement died down, they realized that they faced a great challenge: not only has the actor who originally played Ash, Ian Holm, sadly passed on, but also, any remaining molds of his head from the original movie are currently nowhere to be found.

    What started out as one of the greatest obstacles on the project surprisingly provided the space to create one of Mahan’s proudest achievements in the movie. Although the age would be about fifty years off, the gang managed to track down a mold of Holm’s head from far on the other side of the world. 

    “The headcast that we got from our colleagues in New Zealand, from one of the Hobbit films, I think he was 77 years old in it,” laughs Mahan, “But it did give us the proportions of where his ears were in relation to his nose, and his chin and his forehead. It gave us the proportions of where everything was, and doing some further research, we found his body type was very close to our partner here, Lindsay Macgowan‘s. So, we lifecasted Lindsay in a sitting position, and then (Andy Bergholtz) did a portrait sculpture in clay from photographs using the basis of the life cast that we were given. I think we even did a clay pour of that lifecast, carved down, and did the best we could from photos and measurements. We scanned that, put that into the computer and the design team (led by Scott Patton) digitally did another pass at it to get it even cleaner. Then, we added digital enhancements to help make it come alive. I think ultimately in the end, it’s rather remarkable. It’s a very satisfying thing to resurrect an actor from 1979, the way he looked in 1979, and have him be in this movie.” (https://www.laweekly.com/building-nightmares-shane-mahan-gives-a-behind-the-scenes-dive-into-the-special-effects-of-alien-romulus/) 

e) Ian Holm's family see the rough version

As soon as they finished the rough version , the first thing Fede did was call Ian Holm's family to make sure that it was thy who were the first ones to see it. (and later they would also turn up for the premiere)

He found it to be a very emotional call. 

They lost him back in 2020 and this was around the same time that Fede lost his own father.

He could relate to their pain and also their excitement about seeing him back in the movie

Fede was very proud of what he and his production did and their ability to work with the family.

He hoped that the fans would lose their minds seeing one of their favourite faces from the original film

  1. Fede Alvarez: As soon as we finished the rough version, the first thing I did was a call with all his family to make sure they were the first ones that saw it, It was a very, very emotional call. They lost him not too long ago, and I lost my dad, too, around the same time. So I could relate to their pain and also their excitement to see him back in the movie. I'm super proud of how we did it and how we worked with them. I can't wait for the fans to lose their minds at seeing one of their favorite faces from the original.  (https://ew.com/how-alien-romulus-resurrected-ian-holm-8695189)
  2. Fede Alvarez:And also, the family was always close during the process. They were the first ones to see it. And everybody was at the premiere, all the kids and his widow.(https://www.gq.com/story/alien-cameo-director-fede-alvarez)
      
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