The makers of ‘Alien: Romulus’ defend their AI-resurrected Ian Holm: ‘We did it all with a lot of respect’

Ian Holm, right, with Sigourney Weaver and Yaphet Kotto in the original 1979 “Alien.” Holm’s likeness has been re-created via AI and animatronics for the new “Alien: Romulus.” A familiar face appears unexpectedly a third of the way into “Alien: Romulus,” the gruesome new interquel in the “Alien” franchise currently in theaters. For Ridley Scott’s original 1979 sci-fi-horror classic “Alien,” Holm played Ash, a secretly synthetic crew member with ulterior motives. Who is it?’” Alvarez says his team considered the whole range of synthetics in “Alien” films over the years: Lance Henriksen appeared as Bishop in “Aliens” and then again in David Fincher’s 1992 “Aliens 3” — in the latter as a legless torso on a table like Rook — while Michael Fassbender played David 8 in Scott’s “Prometheus” and Walter One in “Alien: Covenant.” “The only one who hadn’t reappeared and who we found fascinating was Ian Holm,” Alvarez says. “Ian Holm suddenly appearing as a company on-board robot — that’s bit of an old-fashioned word there — was a great idea,” says Scott, 86.