AI Was Used in “Alien: Romulus” to

Resurrect a Dead Actor

 

 

Was there a need for that?

The horror series “Alien” is returning with another huge release. Besides, wouldn’t a sequel to “Aliens” be incomplete without a little controversy to drive a wedge between critics and fans?

“Alien: Romulus,” which debuted in US theatres last week, is technically an interquel since it picks up after the events of the first and second films, focussing on a different group of space travellers who encounter the terrifying Xenomorph.

Additionally, in an unanticipated nod to the first “Alien,” it employs a small amount of what’s being mocked online as “digital necromancy” to bring back the image of British actor Ian Holm, who played Ash, a crew member who was a “synthetic,” a kind of unsettlingly human android.

The avatar of Rook, an additional android, is modelled after Holm, who sadly passed away in 2020.

It’s already a dubious choice on its own, one that sparked controversy when fans learnt about the “cameo.” However, a fresh revelation regarding the execution of this performance is likely to stoke more controversy. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the film’s creators revealed that they employed generative AI to enhance Daniel Betts’ performance as Rook, giving him a more Holm-like voice. The report, which emphasises the divisive role of AI in film and other creative sectors, has some moviegoers in stitches.

One fan tweeted, “There is no reason for this character to be [Holm].” “This just hurts everyone.”

Fede Álvarez, the director, defended the choice in the interview. According to Rook’s account, puppeteers controlled an animatronic that resembled Holm for the majority of the performance. After that, CGI improvements were applied to improve its appearance. Betts handled the facial capture, and finally, generative AI was utilised to adjust the speech.

Alvarez told the LA Times, “We’re not bringing someone back to life and saying, ‘Ian would have done it that way.'” He would have handled things differently. There was an actor on the set who collaborated with the actors and worked on the dialogue. It’s not as though we didn’t hire an actor.

Alvarez claims that Holm’s family approved of the choice and that it was made to respect his contribution to the Alien film series.

“We did it all with a lot of respect and always with the authorisation of his family, his children and his widow, who said, ‘We would love to see his likeness again,'” added the reporter.

“Romulus” is by no means the first movie to revive performers who have passed on through computer effects. It’s not even the first major production to employ generative AI.

However, the combination of the two raises serious questions about AI’s place in the creative industries since it could replace the actors and artists who work in them, trample on the legacy of deceased performers who have no say over how the technology uses their likenesses, and cause unresolved copyright issues.

This is possibly one of the biggest applications of generative AI in a big-budget movie to date. “Romulus,” thus, may serve as a benchmark for future uses of this technology in motion pictures.