| Predators | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Nimród Antal |
| Written by |
|
| Based on | Characters byJim Thomas John Thomas |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Gyula Pados |
| Edited by | Dan Zimmerman |
| Music by | John Debney |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 107 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $40 million[3] |
| Box office | $127 million[4][1] |
Predators is a 2010 Americanscience fictionaction film directed byNimród Antal and written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch. It is the third installment inthePredator franchise. The film features anensemble cast, includingAdrien Brody,Topher Grace,Alice Braga,Walton Goggins, andLaurence Fishburne. The plot follows a group of proficient killers who have been abducted and placed on a planet inhabited byextraterrestrial trophy hunters, leading them to try to survive and look for a way back to Earth.
ProducerRobert Rodriguez had developed a script for a third installment as early as 1994 after seeing theoriginal film, although it was not until 2009 that20th Century Fox greenlit the project. According to Rodriguez, the titlePredators is anallusion to the filmAliens (1986). The title also has a double meaning, referring both to the extraterrestrialPredator hunters and to the group of human characters who are pitted against them.[5] Filming took place in locations includingHawaii andAustin, Texas from September 2009 and lasted 53 days.
Predators was released in the United States on July 9, 2010, by20th Century Fox. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $127 million against a $40M budget. A fourth film,The Predator, was released in 2018, and a prequel,Prey, was released in 2022.
Mercenary Royce is dropped from the sky into an unfamiliar jungle and meets several others who arrive in the same manner:Los Zetas enforcer Cuchillo,SpetsnazAlpha Group soldier Nikolai,IDFsniper Isabelle,RUF officer Mombasa,San Quentindeath row inmate Stans,Inagawa-kaiYakuza member Hanzo, andphysician Edwin. Following Royce, they find a strange monument, empty cages, anddeadfall traps set by a deceasedU.S.Special Forces soldier. They soon realize they are not on Earth.
After surviving a coordinated attack from a pack of alien beasts, Royce deduces they are being hunted and the planet is agame preserve. Cuchillo is killed, and his body is used to lure the group into a trap, which they avoid. The group follows the beasts' tracks to a camp and finds a captivePredator. Three larger Predators known as "Tracker", "Berserker" and "Falconer", attack the group and kill Mombasa, while the others escape. Isabelle recognizes the captive Predator as the one matching the description of a similar creature that killed most of a special operations team inGuatemala in 1987.[a]
The group encounters Ronald Noland, a solitaryU.S. Air Cavalry soldier who has survived for many years by hiding and scavenging. He takes the group to his hideout and explains the Predators abduct worthy prey from other worlds. Noland also reveals that there is ablood feud between the larger and the smaller predators, which he likens to wolves and dogs. Royce devises a plan to free the captive Predator, hoping it will take them home.
Noland traps the others and attempts to use smoke to suffocate them in their sleep and steal their equipment. Royce uses an explosive to attract the Predators to the hideout. Noland is found and killed by Tracker, who releases the group. In the ensuing chase, Nikolai sacrifices himself to kill Tracker and save Edwin, detonating severalClaymores in the Predator's face after being shot in the back. Berserker intercepts the survivors, but Stans distracts it, allowing the others to escape before Berserker kills him by ripping out his skull and spine and sends Falconer to pursue the remaining humans. Hanzo stays behind to duel Falconer with akatana; he kills it but is also mortally wounded in doing so, and succumbs to his injuries.
Royce, Isabelle, and Edwin continue onwards until a trap injures Edwin. When Isabelle refuses to abandon him, Royce leaves them both behind. They are caught by Berserker, who traps them in a pit. Royce returns to the camp and cuts free the captive Predator in exchange for transport to Earth. The Predator remotely activates the ship and sets a course for Earth. Royce runs to the ship but Berserker arrives, eventually overpowering and decapitating the other Predator. Berserker then remotely detonates the ship as it takes off, seemingly killing Royce. Edwin paralyzes Isabelle usingneurotoxic poison from a plant smeared on his scalpel, revealing he is aserial killer and intends to stay on the planet. Royce reappears, Edwin attempts to attack him, but Royce uses the poison on Edwin beforebooby-trapping his body with grenades to use him as bait, which ends up injuring Berserker. With Isabelle's help, Royce defeats and decapitates Berserker, and the pair finally introduce themselves to each other.
Seeing more parachutes in the distance and surmising that more Predators will be arriving, the pair head into the jungle to find a way back to Earth.
The fourPredators in the film are portrayed byDerek Mears, Carey Jones, andBrian Steele.[16] The Predators are identified in the film's credits as the "Classic Predator", "Tracker Predator", "Falconer Predator", and "Berserker Predator". Mears plays the Classic Predator, designed to resemble the creature in the original film.[17] Steele plays the Berserker and Falconer Predators, two of the larger Predators hunting the humans.[18] The Berserker Predator is identified by alien mandible attached to its helmet and faces off against Royce in the film's climax, while the Falconer Predator controls a flyingreconnaissance drone and is killed by Hanzo. Jones plays the Tracker Predator, identified by a pair oftusks attached to its helmet, which controls the quadrupedal hunting animals and is killed by Nikolai.[18] Jones alsodoubled for Steele in some scenes as the Berserker and Falconer Predators.[18]
In 1994,Robert Rodriguez wrote an early script for a thirdPredator film for20th Century Fox, while he was working onDesperado at the time.[19] Rodriguez presented the script to the studio, but was denied when they realized that the budget would be too large.[20] Fifteen years later, the studio decided to go with his script. Rodriguez stated:
It's the story from that script I had written way back then. They had hired me to write aPredator story while I was waiting to doDesperado back in 1995. It was crazy, this thing I came up with. So then fast-forward to now and, like, six months ago, they found the script and called me up. 'Hey, we want to redo this franchise and we found your old script. This is where we should have gone with the series! We want to move forward.' And that's what we're doing.[21]
In 2009, Fox studio executiveAlex Young called Rodriguez to consider using his treatment to revive the individualPredator franchise.[22] Rodriguez would serve as producer, while Alex Litvak and Michael Finch would pen the script.[23] The film was produced at Rodriguez'sTroublemaker Studios as opposed to Fox so that Rodriguez had morecreative control over the film.[20] It was originally thought that Rodriguez would direct, but on July 1, 2009,Nimród Antal was officially signed on to direct.[24]
Rodriguez and Antal originally said they wanted the film to be a sequel only to the originalPredator[5][25] as the film is trying to distance itself fromPredator 2 and the first twoAlien vs. Predator films.[20][25]
At the 2009San Diego Comic-Con Rodriguez stated thatPredators would feature anensemble cast, and that the most important element of the film would be "great characters so that the audience feels they're going on this journey with them".[5] He also noted that the title had a double meaning, referring not only to the extraterrestrial hunters but also to the human characters, all of whom are dangerous killers.[5] He and Antal wanted each of the characters to be well-developed enough to be able to stand alone.[26] Rodriguez hoped to haveArnold Schwarzenegger play acameo role as Dutch, his character from the originalPredator film, but this ultimately did not happen.[27]
The film was shot on a 53-day schedule. Exterior filming location was mostly set in Kolekole,Hawaii.[28] Filming started on September 28, 2009.[29] The film wrapped up its 22-day shoot on the Hawaii location on November 1, 2009. The film shot its interior set scenes at Robert Rodriguez's studio inAustin, Texas.[30] Sixty percent of the film was shot in Texas in order to be eligible for a tax benefit.[20] The film shot more exterior footage atCanyon Lake Gorge inComal County andHamilton Pool Preserve.
It was a blast. It was an amazing experience. We were in the tropical rainforests of Hawaii stomping through the mud and getting rained on all day and then we ended up finishing in Austin, Texas. I really think this movie is going to be good. They had cut together a trailer while we were still working and it looked amazing. It's a great cast and along with the action elements and the sci-fi elements, and with Robert Rodriguez being involved, I think it's going to push it to another level
— Actor Mahershala Ali, 411mania interview[31]
Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis, head of visual effects studioAmalgamated Dynamics (ADI), who also previously worked on 2004'sAlien vs. Predator and 2007'sAliens vs. Predator: Requiem, did not return for the creature design ofPredators, nor didStan Winston Studios. Instead, KNB EFX'sHoward Berger andGreg Nicotero took over building the creature suits andWeta Digital provided visual effects.[32] Berger, who worked with Winston on the original Predator, stated that the studio is reprising the original Stan Winston design of the Predator in the film, saying "We wanted to have the Predator look as it did in the original film. We went back and looked at the original … everyone's going to be very happy that we've been very faithful to the Stan Winston designs."[33]In addition to the original Predator designs, the film features many new creatures never before seen in a Predator film, such as a new breed of Predators that belong to a different tribe, alien creatures that have beendomesticated by the Predators for use in hunting, and other alien creatures that have been brought to the planet by the Predators to be used as prey.[26]
There had been speculation that originalPredator composer and conductorAlan Silvestri would return to do the score,[34] but on February 26, 2010, it was announced thatJohn Debney, who worked with Rodriguez on such films asSpy Kids andSin City, would compose the original score for the film.[35]
Rodriguez shared his thoughts on how the score should play out, saying:
I think we're going to go for something that fits the tone of the movie really well. That original score went great with the movie, but the notes and the music do really evoke a quality—you know, when he (Debney) showed me his rough cut, or some scenes, every once in a while at the right moment I started hearing strings from the score—because we had a temp score, and it really works… So we'll probably incorporate some of that. At the right time, because you don't want to overuse it. But it's like theJames Bond theme—you can't use it all of the time, but when you do, you can get the audience really, really pumped.[36]
Debney recorded many custom sounds and instruments, including Tibetan long horns to create squeals and screams. He also manipulated metal scrapes and ethnic percussion to further highlight the advanced yet brutal andprimitive quality of the Predators and their world. Debney also put up a sneak-peek of one of the Predators scoring sessions.[37]La-La Land Records released the original score for the film on July 5, 2010.[38] The song "Long Tall Sally" byLittle Richard plays during the credits; it was also used in the originalPredator film.
It was announced on March 3, 2010, that Rodriguez and Antal would reveal a first look atPredators at theSXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas on March 12, at 10:15pm.[39] Rodriguez expressed his excitement about the event, saying, "My director Nimród Antal and I are excited to bring this first look atPredators to Austin's SXSW Film Festival, an event that's become vital to the filmmaking scene. Austin is my home and I'm proud thatPredators was conceived and filmed here."[40]
Predators was released onBlu-ray andDVD formats on October 19, 2010.[41] Both releases include commentary tracks by Robert Rodriguez and Nimród Antal, motion comics, and behind-the-scenes-features.[41] The Blu-ray edition includes additional behind-the-scenes features as well as deleted and extended scenes.[41]
Released on July 9, 2010, in the United States,Predators opened with $10 million on Friday. The film finished third at the box office with $24.8 million during its first weekend, behindDespicable Me andThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The film was released internationally on July 8, 2010, and had its biggest success in the markets of the UK and Ireland with $6.8 million and Japan with $6.3 million. The film has grossed $52 million in the United States and $75.2 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $127 million.[4]
On review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes 65% of 205 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "After a string of subpar sequels, this bloody, action-packed reboot takes thePredator franchise back to its testosterone-fueled roots."[42] OnMetacritic the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[43] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of C+ on an A+ to F scale.[44]
A.O. Scott ofThe New York Times said, "Antal is a good enough action director that some of the combat is pretty exciting."[45]Michael Phillips of theChicago Tribune wrote, "When the story relocates to the Fishburne character's grimy, claustrophobic domicile, the movie turns static. The filmmakers may have been going for anAlien industrial-grunge vibe, but the tension just isn't sufficient."[46]
The primary complaint leveled against the film is the failure, as film criticRoger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times described, of the cast to capture the "quiet suspense" of the originalPredator film.[47] Chris Nashawaty ofEntertainment Weekly complained that the film's characters were more like "cardboard clichés lining up for the body count" than real action heroes.[48]
Nimród Antal had talked about a direct sequel toPredators and said he would love to do one. Rodriguez has said that he has interest in a sequel because of the large number of potential ideas the Predator planet setting provides:
There are so many great ideas… Just following Laurence Fishburne's character (Noland) around in a prequel would be a great movie. Just the tales he tells in this movie alone, I want to see those experiences… That's why I wasn't precious even about the original script I had, because once you come up with the idea of a Predator Planet, that Predators use as their hunting grounds and humans are involved somehow, the story ideas that you can come up with are so numerous that you can come up with any approach. So we already have several ideas that we can go with for a sequel. They would all be good ideas but we would probably put them together to see which one rises to the top, if we made another one.[49]
In 2010, Rodriguez confirmed that there would eventually be aPredators sequel:
"[The studio] said, 'Let's do some other ones. What other story ideas do you have?'" says the filmmaker. "Because it was like, let's test out the market with this one. They really wanted it to be pretty contained, pretty scaled-back. They didn't want to put too many of the ideas into it that we could save for a second one. So we could see what the appetite was, because the bigger movie would actually be what comes following that. That kind of sets up a new storyline, new location and world, and then you can really go crazy from there."[50]
Adrien Brody also spoke about reprising his role in a possible sequel:
"I think a lot of that is determined by the success of the film. And I don't think that far ahead. The idea of reprising the role and going farther into that character is interesting to me… It would be exciting to watch a character progress or deteriorate. That's exciting for an actor. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Royce. Again, part of the attraction is I'm oddly drawn to material that affects me on an emotional level, and characters that are dealing with things that are challenging that I would question, that I'm not so familiar with. Royce has his emotional arc in this that most of the characters I've played don't come close to possessing. That's an interesting thing to cultivate."[51]
In June 2014, Fox announced plans for a new film, withShane Black co-writing and directing,Fred Dekker co-writing andJohn Davis producing (without the involvement of Rodriguez). At the time, Black said the film is a sequel, rather than a reboot,[52] while Davis said the film would "reinvent the franchise".[53] It was explained that since the plot takes place on Earth, the story will be more closely linked to the first two films;[54] while the film acknowledges the events ofPredator andPredator 2.
A four issuetie-inPredatorscomic book byDark Horse Comics was released weekly from June 9 to June 30 to promote the release of the film. The comic series, consisting of two storylines titled "Welcome to the Jungle" and "A Predatory Life", serves as aprequel to the events depicted in the film. On July 14, a 72-page one-shotadaptation of the film was released, showing more back story of the characters Royce and Isabelle than is depicted in the film. On the same day a one-shotsequel comic titled "Preserve the Game" was also released, depicting the further adventures of Royce and Isabelle two months after the events of the film.[55][56] A Marvel comic book titled Predator The Last Hunt released on February 21, 2024 and included elements from the film Predators such as the Predator Hell-Hounds.[57]
In July 2010,NECA released the Classic Predator, Falconer Predator, and Berserker Predatoraction figures.[58] NECA later released a second series of figures in December, consisting of a masked Classic Predator, an unmasked Berserker Predator, and the Tracker Predator. The Predator hound was released in March 2011.Hot Toys andSideshow Collectibles have also created props, maquettes and figures for the film.[59]
Downloadable games publisher Chillingo secured a licensing agreement withFox Digital Entertainment to publish the officialPredators video game for theiPhone,iPod Touch andiPad throughApple'sApp Store. The game was developed by independent game developer Angry Mob Games and was released on July 1, 2010, a week before the film's theatrical release.[60][61] The game was later ported toAndroid and published by Fox Digital Entertainment in 2012.
Braga also reprises Isabelle in the 2020 Predator video gamePredator: Hunting Grounds in paid downloadable content.[62] Separate paid downloadable content for the same game featuresArnold Schwarzenegger reprising Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer from the original 1987Predator.[63]
"Predators" only got a C+ CinemaScore.
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