10 Recent Horror Movie Cameos Nobody Saw Coming
9. Ian Holm - Alien: Romulus
No cameo on this list was more immediately unexpected than Ian Holm's "appearance" in Alien: Romulus, given that Holm passed away more than four years before the movie's release.
Holm's likeness was ultimately used for the depiction of android science officer Rook, who appears to be the same model of android as Holm's Ash from the original Alien. This was achieved by using CGI, including AI-powered deepfake tech, to impose Holm's likeness from Alien onto a practical android model, while new dialogue recorded by actor Daniel Betts was filtered through software that used Holm's original Alien dialogue as the basis.
Ultimately, Ian Holm's inclusion in the film proved majorly divisive with fans, some questioning the propriety and ethics of including a late actor in the picture at all without their consent, no matter that Holm's estate approved the decision.
Others, meanwhile, were simply disappointed by the rough-around-the-edges quality of the effect itself, which was more distracting than satisfyingly nostalgic. Even though director Fede Álvarez had the VFX tightened up for Romulus' home release, it remains by far the film's most contentious aspect.