Film fans have been left furious after late actor Ian Holm appeared in the latest Alien film with a team that recreated his likeness using artificial intelligence.
Ian tragically passed away at the age of 88 from Parkinson’s disease in 2020.
Before his death, the actor had become a Hollywood heavyweight after his work in the Alien franchise, as well as a number of other successful films such as The Lord of the Rings and Ratatouille.
On August 16, moviegoers flocked to theaters to see the latest installment, Alien: Romulus, and saw Ian recreated as an AI. The film, in which scavengers break into a space station to steal supplies, stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and the robot Ian, who plays a half-melted robot.
And while the film dethroned Deadpool and Wolverine from the top spot at the box office by grossing $41.5 million, movie fans took to social media to express their frustrations with the AI-powered recreation of Ian.
Film fans have been left furious after late actor Ian Holm (seen in the 1979 film Alien) appeared in the latest Alien movie as the team recreated his appearance using artificial intelligence.
When scavengers break into the station, they must fight for their lives.
It is then that they discover the robot that is an AI recreation of Ian and is a nod to his character in the initial film.
And the AI version of Ian wasn’t just present in one scene, he was in a number of takes.
Although director Fede Alvarez received approval from Ian’s family to use the AI version of him in the film, film lovers were still furious about its use.
One person said: ‘Ian Holm’s CGI deep fake is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen dude.’
Another user wrote: “Guys, the problem isn’t the AI. The problem is that Ian Holm passed away and couldn’t accept his face being used in the film. Whether it’s generative AI, CGI, or an animatronic, it’s clearly still Ian’s face and supposedly his presence in the film. It’s unacceptable.”
“AI is also a problem,” a third person added.
Someone else added: ‘Yeah, while AI is a problem in itself, the lack of possible consent and turning the image of the dead into a commodity is fucking disgusting.’
Before his death, the actor had become a Hollywood heavyweight after his work in the Alien franchise, as well as a number of other successful films (seen in the 1979 film Alien).
Although director Fede Alvarez received approval from Ian’s family to use the AI version of him in the film, film lovers were still furious about the usage.
The director responded to the negative reactions during an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
He said: ‘In the last 10 years after The Hobbit, Ian felt that Hollywood had turned its back on him and his widow felt that he would have loved to be a part of this. He loved this particular character.
‘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.”
Ian was born in 1931 in a mental hospital in Goodmayes, Essex. He was married four times, including to Downton Abbey actress Penelope Wilton, whom he married in 1991 and divorced ten years later.
Widely considered one of Britain’s finest actors, Ian was a favourite among critics, audiences and his fellow actors.
His presence was coveted by directors and he worked alongside Martin Scorsese, Stanley Tucci, David Cronenberg and Woody Allen, to name just a few.
Across more than 100 film, television and theatre roles, he won a Laurence Olivier Award, a Tony Award and a BAFTA Award, and was a member of the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company.
Ian was born in 1931 in Essex. He was married four times, including to Downton Abbey actress Penelope Wilton, whom he married in 1991 and divorced ten years later.
Alien: Romulus is the seventh installment in the cult science fiction franchise, which began with Ridley Scott’s original Alien in 1979 (Ian is seen during the 1979 film).
His various love affairs earned him the nickname “the lord of love affairs” from the tabloid press.
Alien: Romulus is the seventh installment in the cult science fiction franchise that began with Ridley Scott’s original Alien in 1979.
Starring Cailee Spaeny, the latest film is set in the same general time as the first, in the year 2142.
But the plot is meant to stand alone, as it follows a group of young people on the space station Rebirth, who encounter “the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
This isn’t the first time the latest film has sparked controversy; last week, fans who saw the latest installment of the Alien franchise at the full-service Alamo Drafthouse theater expressed their displeasure at the themed menu and didn’t hold back in venting about it on social media.
Alamo Drafthouse is known for its in-seat food and drink service and the chain changes offerings depending on the movie playing.
In the case of Alien: Romulus, many were quick to note that the menu items looked worryingly explosive for a theatrical film.
Revealed by User X who tweeted an image of the menu, the food offerings included dishes such as Escape Hatch Queso, Facehugger Fries, and a ‘Xenoburger.’