Alien vs. Predator
Created by	Randy Stradley Chris Warner
Original work	Alien vs. Predator:The Machiko Noguchi Saga (1989)
Owner	20th Century Studios
Years	1989–present
Based on	Alien by Dan O'Bannon Ronald Shusett Predator by Jim Thomas John Thomas
Print publications
Book(s)	List of books
Novel(s)	List of novels
Comics	List of comics
Films and television
Film(s)	Alien vs. Predator (2004) Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Games
Traditional	List of board games
Video game(s)	List of video games
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	Alien vs. Predator (2004) Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)	List of action figures
Theme park attraction(s)	List of theme park attractions
Pinball	List of pinball
Character(s)	List of characters

Alien vs. Predator (also known asAliens versus Predator andAVP) is ascience fictionactionhorror media franchise created by comic book writersRandy Stradley andChris Warner. The series is a crossover between, and part of, the largerAlien andPredator franchises, depicting the two species —Xenomorph (Alien) andYautja (Predator) — as being in conflict with one another.

It began as acomic book series in 1989, before being adapted into avideo game series in the 1990s. Produced and distributed by20th Century Fox, the film series began withAlien vs. Predator (2004), directed byPaul W. S. Anderson, and was followed byAliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), directed bythe Brothers Strause, and the development of a third film has been delayed indefinitely. The series has led to numerousnovels,comics, andvideo gamespin-offs such asAliens vs. Predator released in 2010.

TheAlien vs. Predator franchise depicts a series of deadly encounters between humanity and other extraterrestrial species: theXenomorphs, ferocious,endoparasitoid creatures; and thePredators, technologically advanced warriors that hunt for personal sport, honor, and to colonize planets. Predominantly transpiring in the present day of the 21st century (with both films taking place in 2004, and the second film taking place immediately after the first), the series acts as a spin-off and prequel to theAlien franchise portraying humankind's encounters with alien species and life forms, and how they helped shape human civilization, technology and weaponry such as the Colonial Marines, the United Americas, the Nostromo, and those involved with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation that is seen in theAlien franchise of the future.

Throughout the series, audiences see the involvement of the forerunners of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation in the history of these alien creatures as Weyland Industries, headed by Charles Bishop Weyland (one of the many within the Weyland family), who seeks immortality and the advancement of the company, whereas the Yutani Corporation, headed by Ms. Cullen Yutani, seeks to study creatures from space and acquire their technology and weaponry for organized warfare. Amidst the actions of the two corporations, human characters are forced to survive infestations of Xenomorphs and clashes with Yautjas, eventually leading to the future merger between the two companies and the development of interstellar travel and eventually wars with other races from space and other advanced technologies. This also leads to the future events of theAlien franchise.

The firstAlien vs. Predator story was published byDark Horse Comics inDark Horse Presents #34–36 (November 1989 – February 1990), leading to the popularThe Machiko Noguchi Saga, following a woman who joins the hunt of the Predators (Yautja). In November 1990,Predator 2 was released in theaters and included a scene depicting anAlien (Xenomorph) skull as one of the Predator'strophies. Over the coming years, Fox had been pursuing a cinematic adaptation of the concept to advance theAlien andPredator franchises further, andPeter Briggs was tasked with the job to write an early script for the project and eventually pitched an idea titledThe Hunt: Alien vs. Predator in 1994, but the pitch was rejected and development of the film remained stuck indevelopment hell for almost a decade before the first feature film was finally released in 2004 under the helm of Paul W. S. Anderson, titledAlien vs. Predator, with a sequel by the Brothers Strause, titledAliens vs. Predator: Requiem, eventually released in 2007.Ellen Ripley does not appear in this franchise, as it takes place more than a century prior to the events of theAlien series.

The first actor to be cast forAlien vs. Predator wasLance Henriksen, who played the characters Bishop and Michael Bishop Weyland inAliens andAlien 3 (andAliens: Colonial Marines). Although theAlien films are set 150 years in the future, Anderson wanted to keep continuity and a shared universe with the series by including a familiar actor. Henriksen plays billionaire and self-taught-engineer Charles Bishop Weyland, a character that ties in with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation as the original founder and CEO of Weyland Industries. Henriksen later returned to the franchise through the role of Karl Bishop Weyland, a descendant of Charles Weyland, in the 2010 video gameAliens vs. Predator.

According to Anderson, Weyland becomes known for the discovery of the pyramid, and as a result the Weyland-Yutani Corporation models the Bishop android in theAlien films after him; "when the Bishop android is created in 150 years time, it's created with the face of the creator. It's kind of likeMicrosoft building an android in 100 years time that has the face ofBill Gates."^[1] The Brothers Strause further stated how the ending of their sequel built further upon establishing the future of the universe by having the Predator technology acquired by Yutani Corporation (and by extension, OWLF, and Project Stargazer of thePredator films) act as the impetus for the development of advanced technologies such as FTL (faster-than-light travel) drives fitted aboard spaceships.^[2]

Furthermore, the 2018 film titledThe Predator featured several references toAlien vs. Predator such as the shurikens, mask designs, and Alexa's spear which the Predator named Scar made out of an Alien tail.^[3] An alternate ending forThe Predator displaying a Weyland-Yutani Corp pod containing Ripley and Newt fromAliens (both played by Breanna Watkins) wearing a Weyland-Yutani breathing apparatus shaped like a Xenomorph Facehugger was also intended to further connect to theAlien saga.^[4][5][6][7]

In 2004, a Predator mothership arrives inEarth's orbit to draw humans to an ancient Predator training ground onBouvetøya, an island about one thousand miles north ofAntarctica. A buriedpyramid giving off a "heat bloom" attracts a group of explorers led by billionaire and self-taught engineer Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen), the original founder and CEO of Weyland Industries, who unknowingly activates an Alien egg production line as a hibernating Alien Queen is awakened within the pyramid. Three Predators descend unto the planet and enter the structure, killing all humans in their way with the intention of hunting the newly formed Aliens, while the scattered explorers are captured alive by Aliens and implanted with embryos. Two Predators die in the ensuing battle with an Alien, while the third allies itself with the lone surviving human, Alexa "Lex" Woods (Sanaa Lathan), while making their way out of the pyramid as it is destroyed by the Predator's wrist bomb and eventually does battle with the escaped Alien Queen on the surface. The Queen is defeated by being dragged down by a water tower into the dark depths of the frozen sea, but not before she fatally wounds the last Predator. The orbiting Predator mothership uncloaks and the crew retrieves the fallen Predator. A Predator elder gives Lex a spear as a sign of respect, and then departs. Once in orbit it is revealed that an AlienChestburster was present within the corpse, thus a Predalien hybrid is born.

Set immediately after the events of the previous film, thePredalien hybrid aboard the Predator scout ship, having just separated from the mothership shown in the previous film, has grown to full adult size and sets about killing the Predators aboard the ship, causing it to crash in the small town ofGunnison, Colorado. The last surviving Predator activates a distress beacon containing a video recording of the Predalien, which is received by aveteran 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 the town. He removes evidence of their presence as he moves along using a corrosive blue liquid and 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 along with the Predalien's warriors and hive, as well as the few remaining humans in the town. The salvaged plasma pistol is then taken to Ms. Cullen Yutani of the Yutani Corporation, foreshadowing an advancement in technology leading to the future events of theAlien films.

Colin and Greg Strause were adamant that they wanted to developAlien vs. Predator 3 during the production ofAliens vs. Predator: Requiem. They essentially sought to make anAVP-film in space and set in the future, but by the time they were hired, 20th Century Fox had already decided to go with Salerno's script set on Earth. They incorporated elements of their ideas into the second film, such as the Predator home planet. In 2008 "an anonymous source over at 20th Century Fox got in touch with us over the weekend to relay the news anotherAliens vs. Predator sequel is a 'certainty' at this point. If you recall, the brothers Strause – who helmed the Christmas releaseAliens vs. Predator: Requiem – stated Fox was going to take a 'wait-and-see' approach to a third chapter, furthermore, that the story would have to continue in space."^[8]

On October 28, 2010, io9 published an exclusive interview with the Brothers Strause in which they revealed thatAlien vs. Predator 3 would have led directly intoAlien. Greg Strause stated that, "The original ending forAVPR, that we pitched them, ended up on the Alien homeward [sic], and actually going from the Predator gun, that you see at the end, it was going to transition from that gun to a logo of a Weyland-Yutani spaceship that was heading to an alien planet. And then we were actually going to cut down to the surface [of the alien planet] and you were going to see a hunt going on. It was going to be a whole tribe of predators going against this creature that we called "King Alien." It's this huge giant winged alien thing. And that was going to be the lead-in, to show that the fact that the Predator gun [at the end ofAVPR] is the impetus of all the technological advancements that allowed humans to travel in space. Which leads up to theAlien timeline."

When asked about the ending sequence ofAliens vs. Predator: Requiem, that the Predator-weapon handed to Ms. Yutani would lead to humans developing advanced space travel technology, Greg stated, "That was the idea. They never got any of the equipment from the first Predators. It's the first time they ever received any intact working technology left over. So they could take that and reverse engineer, figure out what the power source was – all of those things. And in theory, that would enable that company [Weyland-Yutani] to make massive advancements in technology and dominate the space industry. That was the whole idea, was to literally continue from Ms. Yutani getting the gun – and then cut to 50 years in the future, and there's spaceships now. We've made a quantum leap in space travel. That was going to set up the ending, which would then set up whatAVP was going to be, which would take place 100 years in the future. That was kind of the plan."^[2]

Liam O'Donnell, who worked as a visual effects consultant onRequiem, wrote a script treatment forAVP3 during the production ofRequiem which was set in South Africa about fifty years in the future when global warming had melted the ice caps (and releasing the Alien Queen from Antarctica), featuring the merger and global rule of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and their development of interstellar travel based on the recovered Predator technology from Gunnison.^[9]

In 2015, having worked on the special effects ofAliens vs. Predator: Requiem, VFX make-up artist David Woodruff (the son of Tom Woodruff who worked on both theAlien andTerminator franchises) participated in an interview with TheTerminatorFans, and when asked about the situation of a third chapter in theAVP-trilogy, he stated, "I haven't heard anything about a 3rd installment, not even rumors. This Neill Blomkamp project is the first possibility I've seen or heard of anotherAlien film and I'm all about it. I know the guys at Amalgamated Dynamics are pushing for something like this too. It's time."^[10]

In 2015, during theLondon Film and Comic Con, Sigourney Weaver stated that she asked to have Ripley killed inAlien 3 because she knew that Fox were moving forward withAlien vs. Predator.^[11] Peter Briggs (writer ofThe Hunt: Alien vs. Predator) responded by praising all films in the franchise and pointing out that theAVP-films were more successful than Weaver's last twoAlien-films, and noting that "There's a terrificAlien vs. Predator movie still to be made by someone. It just hasn't happened yet."^[12]

In mid-2018,Shane Black, the director ofThe Predator, tweeted his belief that a thirdAlien vs. Predator can still happen, indicating the studio's interest in both franchises.^[13] A ComicBookRumours.com article from July suggested Fox may attempt an "AVP Cinematic Universe" after Ridley Scott finishes makingtheAlien prequels, after which Fox considered a "soft reboot" to theAlien series with new/original characters, a new setting, and new timeline,^[14][15] which the same article also suggested, if it were to happen, could potentially take place within the same continuity as thePredator films andAVP films. NotingPredators featured a Xenomorph skull cameo (along with other references toAliens)^[16] and Lex Woods' Xenomorph tail spear fromAlien vs. Predator make an appearance inThe Predator.^[17] Alternate endings produced forThe Predator displaying a Weyland-Yutani Corp pod containing Ripley and Newt (both played by Breanna Watkins) wearing a Weyland-Yutani breathing apparatus shaped like a Xenomorph Facehugger was also intended to further connect to theAlien films.^[5][7] In 2020, Alex Litvak, the co-writer ofPredators revealed the original script for the film's cancelled sequel, which would feature the Colonial Marines fromAliens.^[18]

In August 2024, Fede Álvarez, the director ofAlien: Romulus, also said he was open to directing a thirdAlien vs. Predator film, proposing to Melanie Brooks and Anthony D'Alessandro ofDeadline Hollywood that he would enjoy directing it along withDan Trachtenberg, the director of thePredator filmsPrey (2022) andPredator: Badlands (2025): "Maybe it's something I have to co-direct with my buddy Dan. Maybe we should do like[Quentin] Tarantino andRobert Rodriguez did with[From]Dusk till Dawn. I'll direct a half, and he'll direct another half."^[19] In October of the same year, Steve Abell (President of Fox Studios) stated that the studio has plans to eventually develop anAlien andPredator crossover film.^[20]

In May 2023,Alien Day founder Josh Izzo revealed that "10 episodes of a fully completedAlien vs. Predatoranime series" exist at20th Century Fox, intended for aNetflix release prior to itsacquisition by Disney.^[21] The series was to be titledAliens vs. Predator: Annihilation.^[22] It was produced by Eric Calderon and Dave Baker,^[23] and directed byShinji Aramaki.^{[24][better source needed]} It is, as of 2025^[update], unreleased. Originally developed as an adaptation ofDark Horse Comics'The Machiko Noguchi Saga, with Izzio using the comic as the basis for storyboards in his pitch,^[25] the series was redeveloped by Aramaki as a "deep future"-set story set years after the events ofAlien Resurrection, told from the perspective of a Yautja clan (including a cyborg and a bone-weapon-wielding warrior named "Bone") as they hunt down xenomorphs.^{[21][24][26][27]}

Key

• A^V indicates the actor or actress lent only his or her voice for his or her film character.
• A^C indicates acameo appearance.
• A dark gray cell indicates the character wqas not in the installment.

TheAlien vs. Predator duology has received a negative critical response, with the primary source of criticism being the plot, lighting and editing.^[32]

"Wach auf!" fromGermanindustrial metal groupOomph!'s appeared in the German version ofAliens vs. Predator: Requiem and was released as asingle to tie-in with the film.

There exists a great number ofspin-offs in other media, including a large number ofcrossovers within theAlien/Predator fictional universe.

Several novelizations based upon the movies have been released.

The Machiko Noguchi Saga

• Aliens vs. Predator: Prey (1994) bySteve Perry
• Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet (1994) by Dave Bischoff
• Aliens vs. Predator: War (1999) byS.D. Perry
• The Complete Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus – collectsPrey,Hunter's Planet andWar (Titan Books, November 2016,ISBN 1-78565-199-4)

Other novels

• Alien vs. Predator: The Movie Novelization (2004) by Marc Cerasini
• Alien vs. Predator: Armageddon (2016) by Tim Lebbon

Dark Horse Comics published various lines based on the franchise, starring the character of Machiko Noguchi. TheFire and Stone (2014–2015) andLife and Death (2016–2017) series crosses over the continuities ofAlien vs. Predator andPrometheus with graphic novel sequels.Marvel Comics acquired the comic book rights to theAlien vs. Predator franchise in 2020, in addition to the rights to theAlien andPredator franchises at the request ofDisney.^[49]

Other books expanding this fictional universe has been released through the years, and also such that depict the background to the films, including works by special effects companyAmalgamated Dynamics Incorporated (ADI) which has worked with all theAlien,Predator, andAlien vs. Predator films.

• Aliens versus Predator: Prima's Official Strategy Guide (1999)
• Aliens versus Predator: Gold Edition: Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2000)
• Aliens versus Predator 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2001)
• Alien vs. Predator: The Creature Effects of ADI (byAlec Gillis andTom Woodruff, Jr., Design Studio Press, August 2004,ISBN 0-9726676-5-2)
• Aliens / Predator: Panel to Panel (2006)
• Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem – Inside the Monster Shop (byAlec Gillis andTom Woodruff, Jr., Design Studio Press, December 2007,ISBN 1-933492-55-4,Titan Books, January 2008,ISBN 1-84576-909-0)
• Aliens vs. Predator: Bradygames Official Strategy Guide (2010)
• Aliens vs. Predators: Ultimate Prey (2022)
• Aliens vs. Predators: Rift War (2022)

The 1993 SFC beat 'em upAlien vs. Predator was developed byJorudan and Published byActivision (NA, PAL) andIGS (JP).

Game Boy versionAlien vs. Predator: The Last of His Clan was Developed by ASK Kodansha.

AnAlien vs. Predator arcadebeat 'em up game was released byCapcom in 1994, following a now-androidDutch Schaefer andLinn Kurosawa of theUnited States Colonial Marine Corps as they join forces with twoYautja to fend off an invasion ofxenomorphs. Two otherAlien vs Predator games were also published by Activision for the SNES and Game Boy in 1993. There were also severalAlien vs. Predatormobile games, and two cancelled titles for theAtari Lynx andGame Boy Advance.

In 1994,Atari Corporation released theRebellion Developments-developed first-person shooterAlien vs Predator for theAtari Jaguar, in which one could play as an Alien, Marine, or Predator. Rebellion then went on to develop the similarly themed 1999'sAliens versus Predator for the PC. This was followed by, among others,Aliens Versus Predator 2 and the expansion packAliens Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt. In 2003, a real-time strategy gameAliens Versus Predator: Extinction was made for the PS2 and Xbox featuring 3 campaign modes for both races as well as humans. It featured several variations of Predators and Aliens seen throughout the films and other forms of media including the famous Predalien. In 2010, Sega released a reboot,Aliens vs. Predator, a multiplatform first-person shooter also made by Rebellion and tied into the timeline of the live-action films.^[50]

Both Alien and Predator appear as downloadable characters inMortal Kombat X (2015).

The film series' characters of Predators in the franchise appeared in the video gamePredator: Hunting Grounds (2020).

Zen Studios developed and released avirtualpinball based upon the 1986 filmAliens, the 2004 filmAlien vs. Predator, and the 2014 video gameAlien: Isolation in theAliens vs. Pinball collection, available as an add-on pack forZen Pinball 2,Pinball FX 2 andPinball FX 3 on April 26, 2016. The three tables features 3-D animated figures of Ellen Ripley, Alexa Woods, Amanda Ripley, the Alien, and the Predator.^[51]

• Aliens/Predator (1997)^[52]
• Aliens vs. Predator: Alien Resurrection Expansion Set (1998)^[53]
• Aliens vs. Predator (2010)^[54]
• AVP: The Hunt Begins (2015) – In 2013, Prodos obtained the license from 20th Century Fox to do a boardgame and successfully funded it on Kickstarter.^{[55][56][57][58]}
• AVP: Alien Warriors (2015)^[59]
• Clue: Alien vs. Predator (2016)^[60][61]
• AVP: Unleashed (2017)^[62][63]
• AVP: Evolved Aliens (2018)^[64]
• AVP: Hot Landing Zone (2019)^[65][66]

During the 1980s and 1990s, Halcyon Models released seventeenAlien model kits, beginning in 1987, as well as aPredator 2 model kit in 1994.^{[citation needed]}

In 1994,Kenner released a collection ofaction figures known asAliens vs. Predator. This followed the two initial series ofAliens that were based on ananimated series,Operation: Aliens, that was never broadcast. As such, the inclusion of Predator is often considered the 3rd and 4th series of theAliens line. This collection includes several Aliens, many of which feature built-in attack features, and Predators, which include removable masks and battle weapons such as spears and missile launchers. The figures generally possess 5 points of articulation, and some include a mini Dark Horse comic book.

While the collection as a whole is known asAliens vs. Predator, the two character types have their own card art that only features the character at hand. An exception would be theAliens vs. Predator 2-pack. Since human space marines were included in the initialAliens line, the Predator was marketed as an alternative enemy to the Aliens. A figure cardback reads: "The stage is set for the universe's two most ferocious enemies. It's the gruesome and evil Aliens against the big-game hunter Predator. Who will win... the beast or the hunter? Can the Predator stop the evil Aliens before the galaxy is destroyed?!?!?!"^[67][68]

In 1998, Kay Bee Toys released the Kenner producedAliens: Hive Wars line featuring Aliens, Marines, and Predators. More figures, including a female Predator and an Alien/Predator/Smash Mason 3-pack, were designed for this series but never released as part of the line.

Six sets of Aliens and PredatorMicro Machines were also planned byGaloob in 1995 but never released. This would have also included the LV-426/Outer World Station Action Fleet Playset. Thanks in part to the research of toy collectors, many photos of these unreleased toys and prototypes have shown up online in recent years.^[69]

In December 2002,McFarlane Toys released a highly detailedAlien vs. Predator deluxe set.^[70] In 2004, they produced a series of figures based on theAlien vs. Predator film. Alongside the articulated figures, McFarlane also released statuesque display sets depicting scenes from the film.

Hot Toys produced highly detailed 16" tall figures for every film includingAliens vs. Predator: Requiem in 2007.

NECA has produced various lines ofAlien vs. Predator figures for several years. In 2007, they released two series ofRequiem figures.^[71]

In 2013, a line of ReAction FiguresAlien andPredator toys were produced.

Originally having produced figures based on the 2013 video gameAliens: Colonial Marines, Hiya Toys has also released figures based onPredator,Predator 2, andAlien: Covenant.

Funko Pop! Vinyl currently produces ongoing lines ofAlien vs. Predator figures.

Minimates produces ongoing lines ofAlien vs. Predator figures.

Loot Crate and Titans Vinyl Figures have collaborated in producing several figures and other merchandise based on characters and creatures from theAlien vs. Predator universe.

Eaglemoss Collections currently produces the ongoingAlien & Predator line of figures based on characters and creatures from theAlien vs. Predator universe.

On August 4, 2014,Universal Studios confirmed that there will be haunted mazes based onAlien vs. Predator for theirHalloween Horror Nights events at bothUniversal Studios Hollywood andUniversal Studios Florida.^[72]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toAlien and Predator.

• Alien franchise
• Predator franchise
• RoboCop Versus The Terminator
• List of space science fiction franchises
• List of films featuring extraterrestrials
• List of monster movies

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

• "When Titans Collide, Can We Survive?".Thumbnails-visually.netdna-ssl.com. Archived fromthe original(JPG) on November 29, 2016. RetrievedDecember 29, 2016.
• "Aliens vs. Predator [Infographic] ~ The Geek Twins".Thegeektwins.com. March 5, 2012. RetrievedDecember 29, 2016.
• Alien vs. Predator Central

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