Alien: Romulus – Disney retouched this criticized scene for the streaming and Blu-ray version

If you went to see Alien: Romulus at the cinema last summer, a passage most likely made you wince. Otherwise, run away, this article will spoil.

Are you still there? We are of course talking about the passage where the android character of Rook is found, more or less played by the late Ian Holm. Because despite its good reviews and its $350 million amassed at the box office, the film had a major flaw.

Rushed work, later improved

This new android, named Ash in the film Alien original by Ridley Scott, this time was unable to benefit from the work of the actor, who died in 2020 at the age of 88.

With the authorization of his family and competent people, Rook was brought to life by mixing special effects (an animatronics, or puppet) and visual effects. Unfortunately, these were made in a hurry, as director Fede Álvarez confirms in an interview with Empire.

• Watch the making-ofAlien: Romulus :

He states thus: “We just didn't have enough time in post-production to get it right. I wasn't 100% satisfied with certain shots, where you could feel a little more visual effects intervention. So, I don't blame the people who reacted negatively.“

But the filmmaker also has good news regarding this transition, for the digital and physical versions available at the start of 2025:

“We fixed it. We improved it for release. I convinced the studio that we needed to spend money and make sure we gave the companies that participated the appropriate amount of time to finish it and do it right. It's so much better.“

A return to the physical

As the comparison below shows (do not take into account the “Prime Video” mention, the streaming versions must now normally equal the Blu-Ray and DVD versions), the new result is certainly less “uncanny“.

To achieve this improvement, the teams prioritized Ian Holm's animatronics, based on a cast of his head in Lord of the Ringsrather than visual effects. Everyone should benefit, starting with the late actor, who certainly deserved better.

Where to watch the franchise films Alien ?

Do you want to watch (or rewatch) the films from the horror science fiction saga in streaming? Since the acquisition of Fox by Disney in 2019, the saga has been the property of Mickey.

The quays-entire franchise, and in particular the least convincing Alien Vs. Predatoris therefore available on Disney+. As for the recent Alien: Romulus, and due to the media timeline, it will only arrive in December 2025 on the streaming platform.