Ian Holm passed away in 2020. The actor had roles in dozens of films considered the best in the world, including his appearance in the first, iconic "Alien" from 1979. He played the android Ash, who reveals his true identity only at the end of the film.
Holm did not appear in the subsequent parts - until the film "Alien: Romulus", the latest production by Fede Alvarez. A character resembling Ash from 1979 was created using CGI.
Ian Holm appeared in "Alien: Romulus" four years after his death
Fans of the saga about the murderous xenomorph immediately noticed the resemblance to the character from the first film. And no, their eyes were not deceiving them—one of the characters really has the face of a young Ian Holm. This was intentional, as the new "Alien" takes place on the Romulus spaceship between the earlier films by Ridley Scott. While this is not the same Ash who met his end aboard the Nostromo, the resemblance is deliberate.
It’s a different character, but I’m deliberately playing with you because fans will immediately recognize THAT face. However, there’s also a whole new generation of viewers who will watch the movie and won’t have the same attachment to this character. They won’t feel the same impact as those who saw the first 'Alien' and know that he’s someone not to be trusted
- explained Fede Alvarez in an interview with "The Hollywood Reporter".
Using the face and voice samples of the late Ian Holm wouldn’t have been possible without the consent of his closest family. The production sought permission from not only the actor’s wife but also his children. They understood the public's lack of support for such solutions—people still tend to side with the rights of the deceased actors over the profit-driven film companies.
"We discussed consent with Holm's family: his widow and his children. We wanted them on our side when it came to this idea," said the director.
Together with Ridley Scott, who handed him the directorial reins, they concluded that the subsequent parts of "Alien" did not do justice to both the character of Ash and Holm. Another "synthetic" character, portrayed by Michael Fassbender in later parts, got his sequels, but Ash did not.
I was thinking with Ridley about something that would resemble him in terms of the torso and head, which we made artificially. It wasn’t just about finding a visual resemblance to a living actor. Ridley said, 'Ash was always the best and deserves to return
- Alvarez explained.
As a result, Daniel Betts worked with the physical body on set, while Ian Holm's rejuvenated, computer-generated face was applied to his torso and head. They also used voice samples from the late actor so that Rook/Ash would sound like him. Ian Holm was included in the film’s credits, and his family received special thanks.
