Nimród Antal interview with LA Times

[Keyes]

'Predators' on the loose in Texas -- the hunt is back on

Predators poster It's a big weekend for "Predators," the promising Fox film that began the ramp-up to its July 7 release with a sneak peek at South by Southwest in Austin. I just got off the phone with the film's director, Nimród Antal, and he seemed to be pulsing with enthusiasm.

"This is gasoline," the filmmaker said using an appropriately petroleum-based description for the film's building buzz at the Lone Star State gathering."We're very excited."

Antal is coming off the 2009 film "Armored" which did not go over well with critics although more than a few pointed out the filmmaker's flair in the ultimately disappointing heist movie. If the L.A. native needed a mentor, he's certainly got one with this revival of the well-known sci-fi franchise; "Predators" is a product of Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios in Texas and Rodriguez came up with the story. Antal said the property and the producer made this a dream gig for him.

"I grew up with 'Predator,' I loved it, I had the poster on my wall and it was a big thing for me," he said. "And working with Robert was amazing, he was unlike any other producer I've ever worked with. It was intimidating at first but it was a gift as the work went on. He knows when to leave a filmmaker alone and when to help, it was great for me."

The first "Predator" film, released in 1987, was directed by John McTiernan (who would go on to "Die Hard" and "The Hunt for Red October") off a script by Jim and John Thomas. It starred not only Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers but also the signature work of creature-creator Stan Winston and his team. The plot: An elite commando team goes into the jungles of Central America to rescue some kidnapped airmen but find they are the prey of an alien creature with advanced technology who has come to Earth on an interstellar hunting safari.

The movie is one of the best-regarded sci-fi action films of its decade and its alien hunter proved so popular that he and his kind popped up in three more films ("Predator 2" in 1990, "AVP: Alien vs. Predator" in 2004 and "AVPR: Aliens vs Predator -- Requiem" in 2007) as well as in comics, video games and toys.

"Why was that first movie so special? If I could answer that I would bottle it up and sell it," Antal said. "There were so many elements that came together. It was like a really good band playing together. If one person is off, it doesn't work but when everybody is on, it's just magic. It was excellent film making by McTiernan, you had Arnold, the score, Stan Winston, the script. It was magic."

The sequels, well, they weren't nearly as special and Antal said the reason was "bad choices" when it came to tone. "The later movies lost the tension and the suspense of the hunt. They whole building the stress up during the hunt and the big reveal of the alien was lost as the movies went along. You see more and more of the alien and get less and less of the mood and tension."

(SPOILER ALERT: THE NEXT PARAGRAPH HAS PLOT INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEW FILM)

The new film wipes much of the slate clean and, in narrative, goes back to a point not long after the events of the first film. The aliens, surprised to find that one of theirs has been killed on Earth, want to study humans in a controlled environment and so they pluck killers of different sorts (convicts, organized-crime killers, mercenaries, etc)  from around the globe and take them to a preserve environment where a new hunt begins. The film stars Adrian Brody, Topher Grace, Lawrence Fishburne and Alice Braga as the confused humans who are suspicious of one another and not exactly team players. More than that, they find that there may be a serial killer in their own ranks as they tramp through the underbrush one step ahead of their high-tech hunters.

"They are all predators in their own right and they are at each others throats," Antal said. "We're expanding the mythology but we're also making a stand-alone film. And, I hope this doesn't sound arrogant, but when it comes to imagery that not one of the previous can come close to. I'm very proud of the way the film looks."

Those are big words from Antal and fans will take them seriously and deliver their own verdict. Welcome to the jungle, Mr. Antal, the hunt is on. . .

— Geoff Boucher

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/predators.html

So it sounds like this is set pretty close in timeframe after the first movie?

[Davjo]

But I don't get it. The bsp is supposed to be these mean killer machines that don't care about anything?

So why would they wanna study any humans? I lack to see what Predator placed them on this planet 

[keylight-di]

I don't get it too...
And these words:

"We're expanding the mythology but we're also making a stand-alone film. And, I hope this doesn't sound arrogant, but when it comes to imagery that not one of the previous can come close to. I'm very proud of the way the film looks."

Well, my optimism is smaller and smaller... Yes, it sounds arrogant, 'cause expanding the mythology needs prudence, intuition, knowledge and love to this.
I'm not sure that Antal has it.

[Johnny Handsome]

I don't get it too...
And these words:

"We're expanding the mythology but we're also making a stand-alone film. And, I hope this doesn't sound arrogant, but when it comes to imagery that not one of the previous can come close to. I'm very proud of the way the film looks."

Well, my optimism is smaller and smaller... Yes, it sounds arrogant, 'cause expanding the mythology needs prudence, intuition, knowledge and love to this.
I'm not sure that Antal has it.

And, I hope this doesn't sound arrogant, but when it comes to imagery that not one of the previous can come close to. I'm very proud of the way the film looks."

He talks about the cinematography, the way the film looks and yes, it looks quite stunning, so it's not arrogant of him.

[Mr. Weyland]

So this is a prequel to Predator 2? I am shocked that they have kept the AVP films in mind, I think I remember something about FOX doesn't like messing with the timelines, including the AVP films, I can't remember were I heard this, maybe when AVP:R was coming out.

Interesting though.

[RubberChickenMan]

But I don't get it. The bsp is supposed to be these mean killer machines that don't care about anything?

So why would they wanna study any humans? I lack to see what Predator placed them on this planet 

Im guessing by "study" they mean checking how tough humans are. Just a guess

[Master]

As long as it dosen`t contradict P2 i`m fine with it.

[Doomofman]

The new film wipes much of the slate clean and, in narrative, goes back to a point not long after the events of the first film. The aliens, surprised to find that one of theirs has been killed on Earth, want to study humans in a controlled environment and so they pluck killers of different sorts (convicts, organized-crime killers, mercenaries, etc)  from around the globe and take them to a preserve environment where a new hunt begins

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever...

It's a completely different tribe of Predators in the new movie... One of those didn't get killed on Earth in the first movie... Antal is talking out his ass and managing to look like one at the same time... You'd think for a guy that's directing a Predator movie he'd know a bit more about it....

[Mr. Weyland]

Maybe its the fact that a puny human actually killed a Predator, without the help of technology, something Predators have been hunting for thousands of years have actually started to fight back, and win.

I guess they just want to know how we are now winning against them, something that was considered simple prey, maybe its a way to see how humans are fighting back, to study us and use our tactics against use, for future hunts.

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever...

It's a completely different tribe of Predators in the new movie... One of those didn't get killed on Earth in the first movie... Antal is talking out his ass and managing to look like one at the same time... You'd think for a guy that's directing a Predator movie he'd know a bit more about it....

Rodriguez said that the original predator's look and race is in the new movie, as well as a new tribe.

[Doomofman]

Maybe its the fact that a puny human actually killed a Predator, without the help of technology, something Predators have been hunting for thousands of years have actually started to fight back, and win.

I guess they just want to know how we are now winning against them, something that was considered simple prey, maybe its a way to see how humans are fighting back, to study us and use our tactics against use, for future hunts.

But the whole point of the new "tribe" of Predators is that they obviously don't get along with the ones we've seen before (shown by the one tied to a totem by the super Preds I don't think they'd really give two shits if one of the regular Preds got killed on Earth by one...

Plus you can tell by the hunting camp that there have been humans there long before the events of Predators or Predator...

[keylight-di]

I don't get it too...
And these words:

"We're expanding the mythology but we're also making a stand-alone film. And, I hope this doesn't sound arrogant, but when it comes to imagery that not one of the previous can come close to. I'm very proud of the way the film looks."

Well, my optimism is smaller and smaller... Yes, it sounds arrogant, 'cause expanding the mythology needs prudence, intuition, knowledge and love to this.
I'm not sure that Antal has it.

And, I hope this doesn't sound arrogant, but when it comes to imagery that not one of the previous can come close to. I'm very proud of the way the film looks."

He talks about the cinematography, the way the film looks and yes, it looks quite stunning, so it's not arrogant of him.

Sorry, Johnny, but you quote different part of text. My quote is complete. And it talks about expanding of mythology. I'm talking about mythology, not cinematography.

We're expanding the mythology but we're also making a stand-alone film

.
This is my point.

[Johnny Handsome]

Then you have to be more specific, because he didn't referred to being arrogant in terms of expanding the universe, but the cinematography.

Then you're the one that got it wrong, actually.

[solid__snake]

For me, it looks like he doesn't even get the story of his own movie, lol. I hope I'm wrong tho...

I think it is more of a Rodriguez' movie than Antal', after all.

[ShadowPred]

HOW the f**k is this supposed to take place not long after the events of Predator when Adrian Brody is CLEARLY holding an AA-12 Shotgun!!!???

Also, does Antal even know what the hell he is talking about? So many times that he contradicts what's been already established about this movie.

[Doomofman]

For me, it looks like he doesn't even get the story of his own movie, lol. I hope I'm wrong tho...

I think it is more of a Rodriguez' movie than Antal', after all.

That's exactly what I think... He really doesn't seem to have a clue... Not that he needs to, to make a nice looking movie but if he's gonna give interviews like this he really should cop on to what the film is actually about...

HOW the f**k is this supposed to take place not long after the events of Predator when Adrian Brody is CLEARLY holding an AA-12 Shotgun!!!???

Also, does Antal even know what the hell he is talking about? So many times that he contradicts what's been already established about this movie.

Funny thing about the AA-12 is that it's been around since '72... NOW having said that... It was a completely different iteration... The version Royce uses in the movie was designed in 2005.... Antal should shut up and let RR do the talking