All Alien fans know that the late Ian Holm played Ash, the evil android, in the original Alien film. The veteran actor sadly passed away in 2020, but Alien: Romulus uses his likeness anyway, recreated via computer-generated imagery atop a different actor. According to the studio’s press notes, Daniel Betts provided “facial and vocal performance” for the character, while Ian Holm is credited for “facial and vocal reference.” This character isn’t Ash, since that android was vaporized on the Nostromo, but instead a new villainous company man named Rook. This is clearly a reference to Bishop, the good guy android played by Lance Henriksen in Aliens. We guess Weyland-Yutani has a bunch of different androids named after various chess pieces. Yet what Rook’s purpose is in the story isn’t completely clear. Yes, he gives some vital exposition about what happened on the station before the main characters arrive, but why is it an extended reference to Ash? Especially since making him resemble Ash means we know not to trust him?
On top of that, there’s the ethical dubiousness of the choice. Digitally resurrecting deceased actors for cheap nostalgia plays has become more common in blockbusters, and it’s a worrying trend. Would it not have been easier to simply cast another actor as the new evil android? We don’t know what the filmmakers were thinking, but hopefully this doesn’t happen again.
VIA: ign.com
