The Alien franchise is back on track with Alien: Romulus, following the mixed reception of Ridley Scott’s prequel films. This time, the story slots in between the original Alien and Aliens, focusing on a group of young folks trying to survive in a remote mining colony.
Early reviews are already calling it the scariest Alien movie since the 1986 classic, so that’s something to get excited about.
Practical Effects Revival: “Alien: Romulus” marks a significant return to practical effects, enhancing viewer immersion and nostalgia for long-time fans.
In celebration of the ‘Alien: Romulus’ film, director Fede Alvarez and his team have brought the franchise’s iconic creatures to life with practical effects for a San Diego Comic Con event. Creative Character Engineering recreated face huggers and chest bursters with intricate details and mechanisms, allowing actors to control the movements for a realistic experience. WETA Workshop also showcased remote-controlled face huggers from the film set, promising a memorable panel for fans.
WETA Workshop brought the actual remote-controlled face huggers used on the film set for a surprise at ComicCon’s Hall H panel. creating face huggers, the project expanded to include chest bursters with movement. The team utilized detailed scans of the ‘hero face hugger’ to inform their design and construction process.
Many parts of the creatures were 3D printed, while others required molding and silicone casting. The face hugger’s tail was designed to move with the actor’s breathing, controlled by a scuba mouthpiece. The chest buster mechanism was intricate, with a pin system that activates when the actor raises their arm .Custom printed t-shirts with pre-scored patterns were used to simulate the chest buster breaking through fabric.
“For the creatures, we brought in all the guys from Aliens,” Alvarez said. “They were in their early twenties when they made Aliens, and they were a part of Stan Winston’s team.” It’s a bit of a reunion, and Alvarez seems thrilled to be working with the legends who made those iconic xenomorphs so terrifying.
But Alvarez’s commitment to practical effects sparked a bit of controversy. Some interpreted his comments as a swipe at CGI and the VFX artists who work tirelessly behind the scenes. Alvarez was quick to set the record straight, clarifying that he’s not anti-CG. “I have this obsession with no green screens, so we built every creature and set. Everything had to be built so we were really living and breathing in these spaces. But I’m not an anti-CG guy,” he explained. He’s all about using the right tool for the right shot, whether it’s practical effects or cutting-edge CGI.
And speaking of CGI, the heavy lifting was done by some of the best in the business: ILM, Fin Design + Effects, Image Engine, Tippett Studio, Weta FX, Wylie Co., and Atomic Arts. These VFX powerhouses worked their magic alongside the practical effects team to bring Alien: Romulus to life.
So, whether you’re in it for the jump scares or the behind-the-scenes wizardry, Alien: Romulus promises to deliver a bit of both, blending old-school horror with cutting-edge technology in a way that might just make it the best Alien film in decades.
