Hollywood’s obsession with CGI resurrections and de-ageing continues to distract audiences, as seen in “Alien: Romulus ” Can they ever make it work?
In the long-running Alien franchise, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation repeatedly fails to profit from the deadly xenomorph, yet it never stops trying. Similarly, Hollywood can’t seem to let go of its fixation on CGI to de-age or resurrect beloved actors, despite the mixed results.
CGI Resurrections in “Alien: Romulus“
“Alien: Romulus” uses a combination of CGI and animatronics to bring back a character originally played by Ian Holm, who passed away in 2020. While the initial glimpse of the character was eerie and effective, the moment the audience saw his full CGI-rendered face, the illusion shattered, drawing attention to the artificiality rather than the story.
The Future of CGI in Hollywood
Director Fede Álvarez of “Romulus” believes fears of CGI replacing actors are overblown, noting that creating these effects still requires a massive team and the original actors’ performances. However, the question remains whether Hollywood can ever truly make this technology seamless, or if it’s a terrible idea they just can’t let go of.
