This story contains spoilers for “Alien: Romulus” and “Alien.”
Fans of the “Alien” franchise had some concerns about the appearance of a beloved actor brought back to life by artificial intelligence.
A humanoid android (dubbed “synthetic” in the film) named Rook bears the appearance of the late Ian Holm, who appeared in the original 1979 “Alien” film.
Holm also starred as Bilbo Baggins in the “Lord of the Rings” films, as well as in such films as “Brazil,” “Chariots of Fire” and “The Fifth Element.” He died in 2020 at age 88.
Many fans reacted to her surprise appearance and weren't too thrilled.
Ian Holm, who starred alongside Sigourney Weaver in the original “Alien” and died in 2020, had his likeness recreated by AI in the newly released “Alien: Romulus.” (Robert Penn/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock)
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“The fake Ian Holm in 'Romulus' may be a cynical attempt to use a dead man's face and voice for the sake of nostalgia, but at least he also looks terrible and can never be changed and everyone who sees him will be subject to him for the rest of their lives,” one person stated on X.
“When they showed the dead man's face in CGI, I was completely baffled. Let the man rest,” said another.
“The extent to which they used Ian Holm's reanimated corpse in 'Alien: Romulus' is truly appalling,” said a third.
Director Fede Álvarez confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that artificial intelligence was used to recreate Holm's look.
“Alien: Romulus” director Fede Álvarez defended the use of AI to recreate Holm's image in the film. (Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images)
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“We weren't trying to do what you can't do, which is reproduce that person's talent as an actor, because it's a different character,” he told the outlet. “The only thing they have in common is the resemblance.”
Alvarez says he approached Holm's widow, Sophie de Stempel, for her opinion and approval.
“We did everything with great respect and always with the permission of his family, his children and his widow, who said: 'We would love to see his image again,'” said Alvarez.
He added: “In the last 10 years after 'The Hobbit,' Ian Holm felt like Hollywood had turned its back on him, and his widow felt she would have loved to be a part of this,” the director said. “She loved this particular character.”
Alvarez told the LA Times that he received approval from Holm's widow, Sophie de Stempel, for the reenactment. (Zak Hussein – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
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To recreate Holm, an animatronic resembling the deceased actor was used on set and operated using puppets, with British actor Daniel Betts on set reading lines for the cast and doing facial captures. Betts' voice was later altered to sound more like Holm's using generative artificial intelligence and computer modeling, according to the LA Times.
“We're not resurrecting someone and saying, 'Ian would have done it that way,'” Alvarez said. “Obviously, he would have done it differently. We had an actor who was on set, who worked on the dialogue, who worked with the actors. It's not like we skipped hiring an actor.”
“We weren't trying to do what you can't do, which is reproduce that person's talent as an actor.”
The “Evil Dead” director also noted that he doesn't believe AI can replace actors in the future and that using it to create the character of Rook in Holm's image was specific to the film.
“It's a lot more expensive to do it the way we did it; it's a lot cheaper to hire an actor,” Alvarez said. “Doing it this way requires a crew of so many people and so many roles to pull off that it's never going to be really convenient.”
Alvarez said the use of AI for Holm's image in the film was case-specific and he doesn't think the technology will ever completely replace actors. (Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images)
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The controversy over the use of Holm's image comes as new legislation in California addressing the likeness of actors, living and dead, is set to reach Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk soon.
The state Senate passed two bills in August: AB 1836, which restricts the use of AI to create digital replicas of dead artists without the consent of their heirs, and AB 2602, which increases consent requirements for living artists to create AI replicas.
“Both bills have been a legislative priority for the union on behalf of our members and beyond, making explicit consent mandatory in California. We look forward to seeing these bills signed by Governor Gavin Newsom,” the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement on its website.
The union has also supported new federal legislation recently reintroduced in Congress: the No Fakes Act.
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The Motion Picture Association of America, which represents several major studios including Netflix, Sony, Paramount, Universal, Disney and Warner Bros., also praised the bill.
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland spoke to Fox News Digital about the bill in July, saying: “[F]From our point of view, this is absolutely crucial. The time is now and it is desperately needed.”
