Predator (franchise)
Predator is an American science fiction action horror anthology media franchise primarily centered on encounters between humans and a fictional species of extraterrestrial trophy hunters known as the Predators. Produced and distributed by 20th Century Studios, the series was initially conceived by screenwriters Jim and John Thomas. The series began with the film Predator, directed by John McTiernan, and was followed by several sequels—Predator 2, Predators, The Predator, Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers, and Predator: Badlands —as well as a range of expanded universe media, including comic books, novels, and video games, including Predator: Concrete Jungle and Predator: Hunting Grounds.
Beginning with crossover comic books published in the 1990s under the Alien vs. Predator imprint, the Predators later intersected with the Alien franchise, pitting the Predators against the titular Alien characters. This narrative convergence led to two theatrical crossover films—Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem —and the AVP series having its own associated expanded universe of tie-in novels, comics and video games.
Premise
The Predator franchise centers on recurring storylines in which human characters encounter a technologically advanced extraterrestrial species that hunts other lifeforms for sport. These extraterrestrials—credited as Predators in the films and alternatively named Yautja, Hish-Qu-Ten, and Skin Thieves in expanded universe media—serve as antagonists in largely self-contained narratives that blend military science fiction, action, and horror elements.Although the films vary in setting, they typically follow a familiar structure: a group of humans, often military personnel or other combatants, find themselves targeted by a Predator during a mission or survival scenario. The creatures are portrayed as adhering to a ritualized code of conduct, selectively targeting dangerous opponents they deem worthy prey. Over time, expanded media introduced additional layers to the fictional mythology, including the species' social hierarchy, interstellar hunting culture, and internal rivalries.
Background
Predator was John McTiernan's first studio film as director. The studio hired screenplay writer Shane Black not only to 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, 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. A Van Damme easter egg was eventually featured in The Predator.The Yautja'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", and Winston subsequently 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 creature 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 very 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 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 clicking 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 clicking sound was inspired by a mixture of the visual of the creature and his recollection of a dying horseshoe crab.
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 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, an 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.
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 to protect other people 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 creature. In addition, cast and crew endured freezing 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 out of the mask, and had to rehearse his scenes with it off and then memorize where everything was.
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 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 and nudity scenes, 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 Kevin Peter Hall reprised his role 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.