Although Alien: Romulus – the latest film in the iconic franchise started by Ridley Scott – was generally received well by critics following its release last summer, there was one aspect of the movie that raised a few eyebrows.
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Specifically, the decision taken by the filmmakers to digitally resurrect late original star Ian Holm for a fairly sizeable role in the film drew some major criticism, both with regards to the ethics of the choice but also in terms of its execution – with some fans slating what they perceived to be fairly sloppy effects work.
But at least when it comes to the latter of those qualms, the issue has been addressed for home entertainment and the imminent Disney Plus release, according to director Fede Álvarez.
"We just ran out of time in post-production to get it right," he said in a new interview with Empire. "I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with some of the shots, where you could feel a bit more the CG intervention. So, for people that react negatively, I don’t blame them."
He added: "We fixed it. We made it better for the release right now. I convinced the studio we need to spend the money and make sure we give the companies that were involved in making it the proper time to finish it and do it right. It’s so much better."
Set in between the events of Alien and its sequel, Aliens, the film revolves around a young new batch of space travellers led by Cailee Spaeny's Rain, while David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu also star.
If you didn't manage to catch the movie in cinemas or fancy a rewatch, read on for everything you need to know about the latest Alien: Romulus streaming options.
How to watch Alien: Romulus right now
Cailee Spaeny and Archie Renaux in Alien: Romulus. 20th Century Studios
Alien: Romulus is now available to rent or buy digitally from Prime Video, iTunes, Microsoft Store and other digital retailers in the UK.
The new film became available to stream on Hulu in the US back in November 2024, and UK fans will be pleased to hear that the film will soon be joining every other Alien film on Disney Plus on our shores.
When is Alien: Romulus coming to Disney Plus in the UK?
Cailee Spaeny in Alien: Romulus. 20th Century Studios/ YouTube.
Disney has finally confirmed when the movie will be coming to its streaming service, with Alien: Romulus set to land on Disney Plus from Wednesday 15th January at 8am UK time.
In the meantime, fans can watch the other six Alien movie in the main series on the platform.
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
