How the ‘Alien: Romulus’ VFX Team United Old and New Technology to Bring Ian Holm’s Android to Life

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Approximately eight months following Ridley Scott’s “Alien” 45th anniversary, the film “Alien: Romulus” rejuvenates the franchise after a seven-year break. Director and co-writer Fede Álvarez skillfully tapped into its rich mythology by setting his movie between the storylines of the initial film and its sequel from 1986, “Aliens.” Yet, equally crucial was Álvarez’s blend of filmmaking methods employed in those earlier installments with contemporary technology, creating a host of exciting moments while simultaneously reinforcing the series’ esteemed status as a cinematic powerhouse for artistic ingenuity.

Beyond the impressive $350 million (and growing) global box office earnings celebrating the film’s success, the team consisting of Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin, and Shane Mahan were jointly nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Visual Effects. This accolade is shared by only four other “Alien” films, making it even more significant since the movies that “Alien: Romulus” bridges also won this category. As visual effects supervisor Barba, who had previously won an Oscar for his work on “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” explains, “Being sandwiched between ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens,’ those timeless classics of science fiction, action, and horror, set the bar high.” The main challenge was figuring out how to create a visual experience that seemed like we were stepping back into the future of analog technology.

To kick off the task of combining years of franchise expertise accumulated within our institution, visual effects supervisor Macarin found it effortless to simply drop by a colleague’s office in search of someone who had hands-on experience in crafting alien xenomorphs. “My acquaintance Gino [Acevedo], who serves as the creative art director at Weta FX, was involved with the original films,” Macarin explained. “So, it was convenient to just pop into his office and ask, ‘Hey, how did you construct this?’ Not only about what the material was intended to represent, but also how it was made.

Macarin’s co-worker on “Alien: Romulus,” named Mahan, is likewise an experienced contributor from the series, having previously worked on “Aliens.” Despite Mahan emphasizing that “[the process] still revolves around artistry at its core,” he suggests that advancements in computer technology have significantly simplified and reduced a once lengthy special effects pipeline. Back in 1986, when they were under Stan Winston’s supervision, models were sculpted by hand using clay, and simple animatronics of the era were used to make things move. There was no CGI available to conceal operational rods or wires, so everything had to be done on set and hidden from view.

Today, you’re fortunate to work with advanced 3D modeling tools on your computer, allowing us to create art in a more scientific manner. These tools enable us to design and manifest our artistic concepts with greater precision.

In the end, Sepulveda-Fauser points out that it wasn’t the iconic xenomorph that posed the greatest challenge to the film’s team of technicians, artists, and supervisors; instead, it was Rook, the reanimated science officer, who was designed to resemble and honor Ian Holm’s cunning android from the original “Alien” movie. “To create a lifelike human character with robotic elements on set required us to employ the most advanced facial capture technology, along with AI work by Metaphysic,” Sepulveda-Fauser explains.

It was something that hadn’t been done quite like that before, blending elements from the past with modern innovations.

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2025-02-07 21:47