Special effects teams bring iconic 'Alien' creatures to life

Early reports suggest the new film "Alien: Romulus" is something of a return to the roots of the science fiction-horror "Alien" franchise — and Alec Gillis is quick to agree.

"Absolutely," says the creature and makeup special effects designer. "Walking through the sets of ‘Romulus,’ is like a flashback. It gave me chills."

Gillis began work on the franchise with the 1986 sequel "Aliens" — but he’s been a fan since the release of the original in 1979.

"Me and a buddy went to see it at the Brea Mall in Southern California, and neither one of us was in the movie business yet. He was a guy whose name was James Cameron; I don't know what ever became of him," said Gillis, laughing. "I saw the first ‘Alien’ with Jim Cameron, and then five years later, he was directing the sequel!"

"Alien: Romulus" is set between the events of the first and second films, and features the work of several special effects teams. Gillis and his Studio Gillis team specialized in bringing the notorious "Chestburster" to life — and during an exclusive Zoom with Good Day Atlanta, demonstrated the puppetry behind the iconic creature.

"We’re performing," Gillis says. "So, one of the things that we pride ourselves on is not just the design and build of these creatures, but the actual performance of them as well. Because that is an art unto itself. And if you don't have a great performance out of a creature…it's just a lifeless hunk of rubber."

"Alien: Romulus" hits theaters everywhere — including IMAX — on Friday, Aug. 16 from 20th Century Studios. Click here for more information on the film.