It’s a pretty small update - the project is still in the very early stages:
And last week at the premiere when pressed on their progress, Kurtzman confirmed he had “not yet” seen scripts, noting “They’re just breaking story.” The executive producer also said he speaks to them about the project regularly, adding “I mean, I adore both of them so much, they’re so fantastic, and I trust them a lot.”
If it was written fiction then I would agree, but for the screen I still prefer human actors in makeup over full CGI.
Don’t discount practical effects. Watch “The Thing” or “American Werewolf in London” if you don’t believe me.
You forget the option of puppetry! The best aliens have always been puppets.
If you are unfamiliar with him, look up a writer named Poul Anderson. He specialized in creating ‘strange new worlds’ and populated them with all sorts of great characters. “War Of The Wingmen” is a good novel to start with.