Behind the scenes of that Alien Romulus surprise character….

As a die-hard fan of the Alien franchise, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of respect and admiration for director Fede Alvarez. His dedication to preserving the legacy of the series is truly commendable, as evidenced by his decision to bring back Ian Holm’s character, Ash, in the form of Rook.

It appears that, since Alien: Resurrection (Romulus) has been launched globally and brought in the third largest opening weekend earnings for the franchise, it’s safe to say that the future of this series looks promising. Fans are being both thrilled and terrified by its content, while also noticing numerous references and hidden gems. However, let’s delve into the secrets behind the creation of the unexpected Alien: Resurrection character – what transpired backstage.

********* MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD *********

During a Q&A session following the LA premiere, director Fede Alvarez was queried about numerous aspects of the film, including several plot twists. However, the most intriguing query was regarding the unexpected return of the late Ian Holm as a synthetic character resembling Ash, who was referred to as Rook – a stark contrast to Lance Henriksen’s Rook from ‘Aliens’.

Regarding the intriguing casting choice and the role of Ian Holm as the synthetic director, Alvarez expressed, “It seemed unfair that Ash’s likeness wasn’t utilized again after Lance Henriksen and Michael Fassbender had their turns. So, when we began considering the appearance of this character with Ridley, it was decided that we would construct a torso and head. This didn’t necessitate using the likeness of a contemporary actor. Instead, Ridley suggested, ‘Ash was always exceptional; he deserves another chance.’ With the family’s approval, particularly his widow and children, we pursued this idea to bring Ash’s likeness back.”

The character Rook is unique yet familiar due to his association with the original character. While some viewers will recognize the deceitful nature hinted by his appearance, a new generation may not understand this connection. However, Rook’s actions are largely honest, which creates an interesting dilemma: Is he more like Ash or Bishop? This ambiguity is intriguing and adds suspense because of our inherent mistrust towards synthetics in the Alien universe. The character Andy goes through a similar process, which enhances the film’s overall narrative. Essentially, viewers will wonder if Andy is like Bishop or Ash, much like they do with Rook. I hope this duality between the two synthetic characters enriches the audience’s experience and enjoyment of their shared journey.

Metaphysic is the firm responsible for most of the upgrades on the talking puppet in question. Originally, we had a puppet featuring Ian Holm’s likeness through a headcast that we discovered. This specific cast was made exclusively for “The Lord of the Rings.” As such, it was the only existing headcast of Mr. Holm. The animatronic team from Legacy Effects utilized this as their starting point, with certain shots requiring additional computer-generated (CG) assistance for lip sync and dialogue. However, some shots didn’t necessitate CG support; instead, you could see the animatronic head-on. Essentially, it was a blend of techniques, though I’m unsure of the specifics. What I can say is that it likely involved both CG and the headscan, possibly incorporating deepfake technology in the eyes due to its capabilities in recreating realistic eye likenesses. The methods employed ranged from 1970s and 1980s technologies to more recent advancements.

……whether we’ll see another surprise character in future films remains to be seen.

2024-08-20 12:24

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