The Predator (2018)

Introduction

The Predator is a 2018 American science fiction action film directed by Shane Black and written by Black and Fred Dekker.

It is the fourth instalment in the Predator franchise. Black had a supporting role in the original film, while John Davis returns as producer from the first three instalments.

Starring Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, and Sterling K. Brown, it follows a group of PTSD-afflicted soldiers and a scientist who must team up to fight off an invading pair of Predators and discover their plans for mankind.

Outline

A Predator ship crash-lands on Earth. US Army Ranger sniper Quinn McKenna and his team are attacked by the Predator while on a hostage retrieval mission. McKenna incapacitates the Predator and has parts of its armour sent by mail to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life. At the behest of government agent Will Traeger, he is captured and held for examination. Traeger also takes the Predator to a lab for experimentation and observation, recruiting evolutionary biologist Casey Bracket to study it. The Predator awakes, breaks out of its restraints, kills lab workers and armed guards, but spares Bracket, the only unarmed person, before leaving.

McKenna is bussed off with a group of other government captives, including former Marines Gaylord “Nebraska” Williams, Coyle, Baxley, Lynch, and Army helicopter pilot Nettles. Seeing the Predator escape from the lab firsthand, they hijack the bus. Taking Bracket with them, they head over to McKenna’s estranged wife, Emily, where he expects to find the Predator armour he mailed off. However, Rory, McKenna’s son with autism has gone trick-or-treating while wearing this armour in hopes of avoiding detection from bullies.

McKenna and the others find his son just in time to stop a pair of Predator hounds (from Predators) from ambushing the boy. McKenna kills one of the dogs by shooting a grenade into its mouth, causing the dog to explode. Nebraska accidentally lobotomises the other dog after shooting it in the head. The Predator chases them into a nearby school. They start to give the Predator’s armour back when another, much larger Predator arrives and engages the first in combat. The group flee, and the second Predator kills the first Predator before setting out to retrieve the lost technology.

Bracket concludes that the Predators are attempting to improve themselves with the DNA of humans and, presumably, other planets’ inhabitants. The team flees to an abandoned barn, but Traeger finds them, captures them, and shares his theory that the Predators anticipate that climate change will end their ability to retrieve human DNA for further hybridisation, so they are scrambling to retrieve it before it is too late. Seeing Rory drawing a map to the spaceship, Traeger takes the boy away to go to the ship. The team escapes and goes after him with the help of the now docile, brain-damaged Predator dog.

When all are at the crashed Predator ship, the second Predator arrives, kills Lynch, and explains through translation software that it will blow up the ship to keep it out of their hands and then give them all a head start before it hunts them down. The Predator quickly kills several of Traeger’s soldiers while mortally wounding both Baxley and Coyle, who then euthanise each other. Traeger tries to use a Predator weapon on the alien but accidentally kills himself in the process.

The Predator takes Rory, believing that his autism reflects advancement in human evolution and is therefore worthwhile in the Predator hybridisation, and flies away in his ship. McKenna, Nebraska, and Nettles land on the ship’s exterior, but the Predator activates a force field. This slices Nettles’ legs off, and he falls off of the ship to his death. Nebraska sacrifices himself and slides into the ship’s turbine, causing it to crash. McKenna sneaks into the ship as it crashes and attacks the Predator. After the crash, Bracket arrives, and the three manage to overpower and finish the Predator with its own weapons. They pay their respects to their fallen comrades with trinkets representing each one before heading off.

Some time later, McKenna and Rory are seen in a science lab watching the opening of cargo found on the Predator’s ship, which a scientist indicates was left behind on purpose. A piece of technology floats out and attaches itself to a lab worker, working as a transformative “Predator killer” suit before deactivating.

Cast

Boyd Holbrook as Quinn McKenna:
- Emily’s estranged husband, the father of Rory and an Army Ranger Captain who discovers the existence of the Predators and leads the battle against them.
Trevante Rhodes as Nebraska Williams:
- A former Marine officer who joins in a special Predator-hunting operation headed up by Quinn and becomes his closest ally.
Jacob Tremblay as Rory McKenna:
- Quinn and Emily’s troubled son, who has a form of autism and is bullied in school, but becomes a key player in the fight against the Predators due to his preternatural ability to learn languages.
Keegan-Michael Key as Coyle:
- A Marine veteran, who teams up with Quinn and Williams to fight the Predators.
Olivia Munn as Casey Bracket:
- An evolutionary biologist who joins the crew’s mission.
Sterling K. Brown as Will Traeger:
- A government agent and Director of the “Stargazer Project” who jails Quinn, but later needs his help with fighting the Predators.
Thomas Jane as Baxley:
- A Marine veteran from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
- His character was named after Craig R. Baxley, the stunt coordinator of the 1987 film.
Alfie Allen as Lynch:
- A former Marine who teams with several other outsiders, including Quinn, to stop the human-hunting Predators in suburbia.
Augusto Aguilera as Nettles:
- A former Huey helicopter pilot and religious zealot who has suffered a traumatic brain injury from a crash.
Jake Busey as Sean Keyes:
- A head Stargazer scientist, the son of Peter Keyes (played by Busey’s father Gary Busey in Predator 02).
Yvonne Strahovski as Emily:
- Quinn McKenna’s estranged wife and the mother to Rory.

Other cast members in smaller roles include R. J. Fetherstonhaugh as Agent Church, Peter Shinkoda as Dr. Yamada, Lochlyn Munro as Lt. General Marks, Nikolas Dukic as Derek, Gabriel LaBelle as EJ, Niall Matter as Sapir, Mike Dopud as Dupree, and Garry Chalk as a postal worker. The Predators were portrayed in-suit and via motion capture by stuntmen Brian A. Prince and Kyle Strauts, with vocal work by Brian A. Prince.

Stuntwoman Breanna Watkins, in scenes that were filmed but not used, portrayed Ellen Ripley, Machiko Noguchi, and an adult Rebecca “Newt” Jorden in three different alternativee endings, meant to tie in to the Alien franchise in which those characters first appeared; Watkins’ face was covered so-as to allow the roles to be recast.

Edward James Olmos had a supporting role as a military general, but his scenes were cut due to time constraints. Françoise Yip, who previously appeared in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem as Ms. Cullen Yutani, filmed scenes reprising the role (credited as “Tracking Supervisor”); all speaking scenes were cut from the final film, with Yip ultimately having a silent cameo appearance.

Production

Pre-production

In June 2014, Fox announced a sequel. Shane Black, who also starred as supporting character Rick Hawkins in Predator, directed, and co-wrote with Fred Dekker, while John Davis produced. Davis has said of the film that he thinks it is fresh and reimagines the franchise in a “different, interesting way”. In February 2016, Black stated that the title of the new sequel would be The Predator. He 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.” Black also expressed that the film would mark a return to the “intimate” scale of the original film and that the filmmakers hoped to achieve “the same sense of wonderment and newness that Close Encounters had when that came out.”

The film is set in the present day and the titular character has upgraded armour. Black has said that he looked for plot details set up in the previous Predator movies that he could retrospectively link back to with the new film. To that end, Jake Busey was cast as Sean Keyes, the son of Peter Keyes (a character who was portrayed by Busey’s father Gary Busey in Predator 02). In February 2016, the studio revealed a teaser image of the film, confirming the title The Predator.

Chief-executive-officer of 20th Century Fox Stacey Snider shared her thoughts on The Predator and Shane Black and Fred Dekker’s script.

Casting

Arnold Schwarzenegger talked with Black about reprising his role as Dutch Schaefer from the first Predator film, but declined the cameo due to the short role. Rapper 50 Cent also spoke of the possibility of being involved in the film but ended up dropping out. By September 2016, Benicio del Toro had signed on to star. The following month, Boyd Holbrook replaced del Toro, who departed due to scheduling issues. In November 2016, Olivia Munn joined the cast. In January 2017, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane and Jacob Tremblay joined the cast. In February, Alfie Allen and Yvonne Strahovski were added. In March, the last main role was filled by Augusto Aguilera while Jake Busey was also cast in a supporting role.

In March 2017, Edward James Olmos was cast as Sanchez, a military general. In August 2018, Olmos announced that his role had been cut from the final film, to reduce the film’s running time, as his character was not integral to the plot.

Filming

Filming was scheduled to begin in February 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia. On 21 November 2016, Larry Fong was confirmed hired as cinematographer for the film. Black announced that filming had begun on 20 February 2017. Additional photography in Vancouver took place in March 2018.

Music

Henry Jackman provided the musical score for the film, which incorporates Alan Silvestri’s themes from the 1987 film.

Post-production

The visual effects were provided by MPC, Atomic Fiction, Raynault VFX, Rising Sun Pictures and Proof.

Release

The Predator was originally scheduled by 20th Century Fox for a 02 March 2018, release date, until the date was moved to 09 February 2018. It was then delayed to 03 August 2018. In February 2018, the released date was delayed to 14 September 2018. The film’s release included IMAX theatres. On 10 May 2018, the first trailer was released. A television spot was released on 09 June, while a second full trailer was released on 26 June 2018. The third and final theatrical trailer was released on 31 August 2018, featuring the song “One Shot, One Kill” by Jon Connor featuring Snoop Dogg. The film’s world premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival on 06 September 2018, at the Ryerson Theatre. The film was later released in the US on 14 September 2018.

Box Office

The Predator grossed $51 million in the United States and Canada, and $109.5 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $160.5 million, against a production budget of $88 million.

In the United States and Canada, The Predator was released alongside White Boy Rick, A Simple Favour and Unbroken: Path to Redemption, and was projected to gross $25-32 million from 4,037 theatres in its opening weekend. It made $10.5 million on its first day, including $2.5 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $24 million, finishing first at the box office but marking a lower start than the 2010 film ($24.8 million). It dropped 65% in its second weekend to $8.7 million, finishing fourth. In its third weekend the film grossed $3.9 million, finishing eighth.

Controversies

Director Shane Black hired his longtime friend Steven Wilder Striegel (known professionally as “Steve Wilder”) for a minor, un-auditioned role in The Predator (he had also appeared in Black’s previous films Iron Man 03 and The Nice Guys). Wilder has been a registered felony sex offender since 2010, when he pleaded guilty to “enticing a minor by computer” after he attempted to lure a 14-year-old girl into a sexual relationship via email. A few days before picture lock on the film, Olivia Munn became aware of Wilder’s history and approached Fox executives, insisting that the scene be removed.

Black defended his casting decision and his friend, until later issuing a public apology and rescinding those comments amid backlash. Fox released a statement saying that they were unaware of Wilder’s status and confirming that the scene had been cut from the film. Co-star Sterling K. Brown tweeted in support of Munn, but initially, most other actors on the film remained silent, releasing statements after mounting public pressure.

The Predator suggests not only that autistic persons who exhibit savant qualities and other forms of neurodiversity are or were advantageous, but that they represent a forward step on the human evolutionary path. According to the scientific opinions reported by Syfy Wire, such a thesis would have some issues. Also the New York Post review ends by stating: “But worse is a plot line involving autism and a dubious scientific theory that will leave parents fuming.” In a review for Uproxx, Emma Stefansky called the film’s depiction of autism, “maybe the worst thing I have seen in a film this year” and scolds the filmmakers for their depiction of mental illness, especially the idea that “autism = really smart”.

Home Media

The Predator was released on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD formats on 18 December 2018 in America, alongside short film The Predator Holiday Special, in which Santa Claus and his elves and reindeer encounters a Predator at the North Pole. The film would eventually be released on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD formats on 28 January 2019 in the UK.

The film’s third act was originally set during the day; after the resulting sequences were deemed ineffective, they were largely reshot at night. Black wanted the home media release to include both versions of the film, Predator AM and Predator PM, but the studio declined, not wanting to pay to complete the daylight version’s digital effects.

The Predator received a novelisation co-written by Christopher Golden and Mark Morris, with the audiobook narrated by James Patrick Cronin. It also received a prequel novel titled The Predator: Hunters and Hunted written by James A. Moore, the audiobook also narrated by Cronin.

Future Sequels

The producer, John Davis, has said that The Predator sets up two sequels that he hopes Shane Black will return to direct. About this, Black said: “I would love to say we’ve been planning a trilogy, but I take it one day at a time; in motion-picture terms that’s one movie at a time.”

Trivia

Talks of a new Predator instalment began in June 2014, with Black being confirmed as writer and director; much of the cast signed on between October 2016 and January 2017.
Filming took place in British Columbia from February to June 2017, with the entire climax being re-written and re-shot in July 2018 following poor test screenings.
The Predator premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 06 September 2018, and was theatrically released in the US on 14 September 2018, by 20th Century Fox, in IMAX and Dolby Cinema, as well as standard formats.
The film received mixed reviews and went on to earn $160 million worldwide, on a budget of $88 million, becoming the highest grossing film in the franchise.

Crossover

The Alien vs. Predator franchise combines the continuities of the Alien franchise with the Predator franchise and consists of two films as well as various series of comics, books, and video games.

Predator Series

Films:
- Predator (1987).
- Predator 02 (1990).
- Predators (2010).
- The Predator (2018).

Short Films:
- Moments of Extraction (2010).
- Crucified (2010).
- Predator vs. Colonial Marines (2016).
- The Predator Holiday Special (2018).

Production & Filming Details

Director(s): Shane Black.
Producer(s): John Davis.
Writer(s): Fred Dekker and Shane Black.
Music: Henry Jackman.
Cinematography: Larry Fong.
Editor(s): Harry B. Miller III and Billy Weber.
Production: Davis Entertainment and TSG Entertainment.
Distributor(s): 20th Century Fox.
Release Date: 06 September 2018 (Toronto International Film Festival) and 14 September 2018 (US).
Running Time: 107 minutes.
Rating: 15.
Country: US.
Language: English.

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