Predator (franchise)

The Predator film series is a science fiction horror film franchise based on a race of fictional extraterrestrials created by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Produced by 20th Century Fox, the series started in 1987 with the film Predator, which led to two sequels and novel, comic book and video game spin-offs. Related to the franchise are the Alien vs. Predator films, which combine the titular Predator with the creatures from the Alien film series.

Development

Predator was John McTiernan's second studio film as director. The studio hired screenplay writer Shane Black to not only play a supporting role in the film, but to keep an eye on McTiernan due to the director's inexperience. Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the film's creature,^[1] the idea being that the physical action star would use his martial arts skills to make the creature an agile, ninja-esque hunter. When compared to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura, actors known for their bodybuilding regimes, it became apparent a more physically imposing man was needed to make the creature appear threatening. Eventually, Van Damme was removed from the film and replaced by the actor and mime artist Kevin Peter Hall.

The predator creature's design is credited to special effects artist Stan Winston. While flying to Japan with Aliens director James Cameron, Winston, who had been hired to design the Predator, was doing concept art on the flight. Cameron saw what he was drawing and said, "I always wanted to see something with mandibles". Winston then included them in his designs. Schwarzenegger recommended Winston after his experience working on The Terminator.

The film's creature was originally designed with a long neck, a dog-like head and a single eye. This design was abandoned when it became apparent that the jungle locations would make shooting the complex design too difficult. Originally, the studio contracted the makeup effects for the alien from Richard Edlund's Boss Film Creature Shop. However, with problems filming the creature in Mexico and attempts to create a convincing monster of Van Damme, wearing a much different body suit, failing, makeup effects responsibilities were given to Winston and his studio, R/Greenberg Associates. According to former Boss Film Creature Shop makeup supervisor Steve Johnson, the makeup failed because of an impractical design by McTiernan that included 12-inch (300 mm) length extensions that gave the creature a backward bent satyr-leg. The design did not work in the jungle locations. After six weeks of shooting in the jungles of Palenque, Mexico, the production had to shut down so that Winston could make the new creature. This took eight months and then filming resumed for five weeks.

The sound of the creature was provided by Peter Cullen. Despite his resolution not to voice any more monsters following injuries to his throat sustained during the ADR of King Kong, his agent convinced him to audition. The bubbling sound was inspired by a mixture of the visual of the creature and his recollection of a dying horseshoe crab.^[2]

R/Greenberg Associates created the film's optical effects, including the creature's ability to become invisible, its thermal vision point-of-view, its glowing blood, and the electric spark effects. The invisibility effect was achieved by having someone in a bright red suit (because it was the farthest opposite of the green of the jungle and the blue of the sky) the size of the creature. The take was then repeated without the actors using a 30% wider lens on the camera. When the two takes were combined optically, a vague outline of the alien could be seen with the background scenery bending around its shape. For the thermal vision, infrared film could not be used because it did not register in the range of body temperature wavelengths. The glowing blood was achieved by green liquid from chem-lite sticks used by campers. The electrical sparks were rotoscoped animation using white paper pin registered on portable light tables to black-and-white prints of the film frames. The drawings were composited by the optical crew for the finished effects.

Also, in an interview on Predator Special Edition, actor Carl Weathers said many of the actors would secretly wake up as early as 3 a.m. to work out before the day's shooting, in order to look "pumped" during the scene. Weathers also stated that he would act as if his physique was naturally given to him, and would work out only after all the other actors were nowhere to be seen. It was reported that actor Sonny Landham was so unstable on the set that a bodyguard was hired; not to protect Landham, but to protect the other cast members from him.

According to Schwarzenegger, filming was physically demanding as he had to swim in very cold water and spent three weeks covered in mud for the climactic battle with the alien. In addition, cast and crew endured very cold temperatures in the Mexican jungle that required heat lamps to be on all of the time. Schwarzenegger also faced the challenge of working with Kevin Peter Hall who could not see in the creature's suit. Hall could not see out of the mask and had to rehearse his scenes with it off and then memorize where everything was. The outfit was difficult to wear because it was heavy and off-balance.

The film was particularly successful and subsequently inspired a number of comic books, video games and popular anecdotes within the media. Schwarzenegger was asked to reprise his role in a Predator sequel, but was already attached to Terminator 2: Judgment Day and could not accept the role. The character was rewritten from the developing sequel's script, and the sequel to Predator, directed by Stephen Hopkins, was scheduled for 1990.

Due to excessive violence, Predator 2 was the first film to be given the newly instituted NC-17 rating in the United States. It was eventually rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America after being re-cut to its final theatrical length. The film cast Danny Glover in the lead role, and reprised Kevin Peter Hall as the Predator. Also, returning to the role of Anna in the sequel, Elpidia Carrillo was slated to be in two scenes but was cut back to a brief appearance on a video screen in the government agents' surveillance trailer. Her character is showing damage to the Central American jungle caused by the explosion at the conclusion of the first film.

Main series

Predator (1987)

A Covert-Ops U.S. Special Forces Unit, led by Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer is on a mission in Central America when they encounter an alien who hunts them for sport.

Predator 2 (1990)

In 1997, a different Predator arrives in Los Angeles and begins hunting violent gang members, drawing the attention of the local police force. The creature itself is in turn being hunted by a secretive government task-force seeking to capture it for study.

Predators (2010)

In 2009, it was announced that Robert Rodriguez would relaunch the franchise.^[3] Rodriguez had written a script titled Predators before he had filmed Desperado. In 2009, 20th Century Fox studio executive Alex Young called Rodriguez to consider using his treatment as the basis of reviving the individual Predator franchise.^[4] Writer Alex Litvak was hired to write the screenplay.^[5] Nimród Antal was signed on to direct the film. The film is set on a Predator game reserve planet, where a group of soldiers battle for their lives against the creatures.^[6] The film stars Adrien Brody,^[7] Alice Braga, Danny Trejo, Walt Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Topher Grace,^[8] Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Louis Ozawa Changchien^[9] and Laurence Fishburne.

The Predator (2018)

In June 2014, Fox announced a sequel which Shane Black will direct and co-write with Fred Dekker, and John Davis will produce.^[10] Davis has said of the film that he thinks it is fresh and reimagines the franchise in a "different, interesting way".^[11] In February 2016, Black confirmed the title of the new sequel would be The Predator.^[12] It is slated for a March 2, 2018, release date.^[13] Schwarzenegger revealed to TheArnoldFans.com in an interview that he is discussing returning to the film as his character.^[14] Shane Black has referred to the project as an event film which aims to elevate the Predator series: "It’s an attempt to ‘event-ise’ the Predator again... [An attempt to] make it more mysterious."^[15][16] Black also expressed that the film would mark a return to the "intimate" scale of the original film and that the film-makers hoped to achieve “the same sense of wonderment and newness that Close Encounters had when that came out.”^[16] Rapper 50 Cent has spoken of the possibility of being involved in the film.^[17] Shane Black has confirmed that the film is set in the present day and the titular character will have an upgraded set of armor.^[18][19][20] Black has also indicated that the film will not be a complete reboot as it will acknowledge the events of Predator and Predator 2.^[21] Filming is expected to commence in Vancouver in September 2016,^[22] with a projected release date of February 9, 2018.^{[16][23][24][25]} By September 2016, Benicio del Toro had signed on to star in the film.^[26] The following month, Boyd Holbrook was in negotiations to replace del Toro, who departed due to scheduling issues.^[27] Filming has since been delayed to February 2017.^[28] On November 3, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter had reported that Olivia Munn is in talks to play a role.^[29] On November 21, 2016, Larry Fong was announced as the cinematographer for the film.^[30]

Crossover series

Following an easter egg in the film Predator 2 in which an Alien skull was seen in a Predator trophy case, attempts to create a shared universe between the Alien and Predator franchises followed, initially through comics and video games, until a film franchise was launched with the release of AVP: Alien vs. Predator in 2004, and a sequel in 2007. The future of the film franchise remains uncertain due to a largely negative critical response. A 2014 Dark Horse Comics series called Fire and Stone further merged the Aliens vs. Predator series with the Prometheus franchise.

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

In 2004, a Predator ship arrives in Earth orbit to draw humans to an ancient Predator training ground on Bouvetøya, an island about one thousand miles north of Antarctica. A buried pyramid which gives off a "heat bloom" attracts humans led by Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen), who unknowingly activates an alien egg production line. Three Predator hunter initiates enter the structure, killing all humans in their way with the intention of hunting the newly formed alien warriors; the remaining humans are captured alive by Aliens and implanted with embryos. Two Predators die in the ensuing battle, while the third allies itself with the lone surviving human, Alexa Woods (Sanaa Lathan) in order to battle the escaped Queen Alien. The Queen is defeated, but not before she fatally wounds the last Predator. The orbiting Predator ship uncloaks and the crew retrieve the fallen Predator. A Predator elder gives Alexa a spear as a sign of respect, and then departs. Once in orbit it is revealed that a chestburster was in the corpse, though this specimen has Predator mandibles.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Set immediately after the prior film, the Predalien hybrid aboard the Predator scout ship, which just separated from the mothership of the prior film, has grown to full adult size and sets about killing the Predators aboard the ship, causing it to crash in Gunnison, Colorado. The last survivor activates a distress beacon with a video of the Predalien, which is received by a veteran Predator on the Predator homeworld, who sets off towards Earth to "clean up" the infestation. When it arrives, the Predator tracks the Aliens into a section of the sewer below town. He removes evidence of their presence as he goes by using a corrosive blue liquid. It uses a laser net to try to contain the creatures, but the Aliens still manage to escape into the town above. The Predator fashions a plasma pistol from its remaining plasma caster and hunts Aliens all across town (accidentally cutting the power to the town in the process). During a confrontation with human survivors, the Predator loses its plasma pistol. The Predator then fights the Predalien singlehandedly, and the two mortally wound one another just as the US air force drops a tactical nuclear bomb on the town, incinerating both combatants, the Predalien's warriors and hive, as well as the few remaining humans in the city. The salvaged plasma pistol is then taken to Ms. Yutani.

Cast and characters

Reception

Box office

Critical and public reaction

Media

There have been a number of spin-offs in other media including a large number of crossovers within the Aliens fictional universe. These include:

Novels

As well as the novelizations based on the various films there are a number of novel series:

• Predator by Paul Monette
• Predator 2 by Simon Hawke
• Predator: Concrete Jungle by Nathan Archer
• Predator: Cold War by Nathan Archer
• Predator: Big Game by Sandy Schofield
• Predator: Forever Midnight by John Shirley
• Predator: Flesh and Blood by Michael Jan Friedman
• Predator: Turnabout by Steve Perry
• Predator: South China Sea by Jeff VanderMeer
• Predator: Prey to the Heavens by John Arcudi and Javier Saltares
• Aliens vs. Predator
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Prey by Steve Perry
  • Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet by Dave Bischoff
  • Aliens vs. Predator: War by S.D. Perry
  • Alien vs. Predator: The Movie Novelization by Marc Cerasini

Comic books

Non-canonical comics

• Predator
• Aliens versus Predator
• Aliens versus Predator versus The Terminator
• Aliens/Predator: Deadliest of the Species
• Aliens/Predator/Witchblade/The Darkness: Mindhunter
• Archie vs. Predator
• Batman versus Predator
• JLA vs. Predator
• Predator vs. Judge Dredd
• Predator vs. Magnus, Robot Fighter
• Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator
• Superman vs. Predator
• Tarzan vs. Predator at the Earth's Core

Canonical comics

• Predator: Concrete Jungle
• Predator 2: Movie Adaption
• Predators (2010 prequel comic)
• Fire and Stone

Games

See also

• List of Predator characters
• Predatoroonops, a genus of spider named after the Predator

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Predator (franchise) films.

Further reading

• Beautiful Monsters: The Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Alien and Predator Films (by David A. McIntee, Telos, 272 pages, 2005, ISBN 1-903889-94-4)