John Davis: Shane Black's Predator Sequel will Reinvent Franchise

[Chris!(($$))!]

1715. Caribbean.

It'd be like PREDATOR meets BLACK SAILS.

[RakaiThwei]

Would a movie set in the past make it.. I don't know, a prequel? I  would think that a movie set in the past wouldn't warrant the title of a sequel. But.. that could change, so.. we will see.

[Corporal Hicks]

I'd only call it a prequel if the events in it specifically led into the originals. Personally I'd really dig something a bit braver like a Predator film set in the past. Whether it's World War 1 or 2, or Victorian England or pirates. Something original would be perfect.

[Xenomorphine]

If it's made after the previous film, but set in the past, then yes, it's a prequel. Sequels don't have to link directly to previous characters or events. Same principle.

[RakaiThwei]

Personally I'd really dig something a bit braver like a Predator film set in the past. Whether it's World War 1 or 2, or Victorian England or pirates. Something original would be perfect.

I would be alright with this. Dark Ages did this very well while keeping true to the films, specifically Predator, Predator 2 and the AVP films. I would like to see a Predator film set in feudal Japan or medieval Norway.

[Bat Chain Puller]

I've day dreamed the "Predator Home World" plot a million times over and have mused about them for years on these boards. Space Arena battles, Predator culture, women/children, other species of aliens and their roles. I don't think we'll be seeing any of that.

Why do people want THIS? I really don't want that for a Predator movie and this just screams bad idea to me. PREDATORS was almost this concept but thank God it wasn't. I don't want a film like this. If you ask me that would kill the franchise if it's not dead already.

It's just one direction it could go in. The huge Avatar budget version. But obviously Predator was never that type of blockbuster to warrant such a sequel. And too many other films have hit these marks (with varying levels of success and failures) I'd rather see something smaller scale.

Fishburne's character should have been Dutch in Predators. That would have been a nice surprise. So I'm not looking for Arnold to show up in this either. Start fresh.

Personally I'd really dig something a bit braver like a Predator film set in the past. Whether it's World War 1 or 2, or Victorian England or pirates. Something original would be perfect.

I would be alright with this. Dark Ages did this very well while keeping true to the films, specifically Predator, Predator 2 and the AVP films. I would like to see a Predator film set in feudal Japan or medieval Norway.

I dig all this ... but I think the Predator would basically have to hang up his guns to make anything before automatic weapons be a challenge. I feel like they are already coming to earth in present day with the crudest of their weapons. I personally think it should go forward in time. More sophisticated tech and weaponry. I'd like to see the Predator take a step forward in his tricks and tactics not a step back. (But the imagery of it being set in the past is very compelling.)

[Mike]

I want to see Predator 4 bring back all the Ultimate badass Soldiers! Major Alan Dutch Shaefer! Lt Micheal R Harrigan! and Black Ops Mercenary Royce!! and maybe the 4th film will introduce us to a 4th badass to go down in the Predator series as the Ultimate badass 4 guys! That would really make the Predator series more special! Everytime I hear a helicopter in the sky wirring above 500 ft high with those propellers sounds just like the Predator movies I get the chills!!!! Thinking about the 3 badasses that we got so far! hoping they will join together against the Predators in the ultimate Predator film!!!! :DDDDD

[The Joker]

A couple of ideas they could use (just theories, nothing more  )

1). Predator in a different time period --- This has endless possibilities. WW1, WW2, Vietnam War, etc. But not sure how this would fit into it being a sequel unless they do it in the present. Iraq War, perhaps? Maybe too risky.

2). Predator hunting/chasing Dutch? --- This would be more in line with the film being a direct sequel. A few of these types of ideas where created back when Predator 2 was being made, of course. If I remember correctly, one of the more popular choices was the idea that a Predator would arrive to track down Dutch during a blizzard in NY.

3). Predator being experimented on, things go wrong. --- These types of stories have worked recently. Example: Ex Machina, Godzilla & Jurassic World. Could be a dumb idea, yes, but if done right it could be an interesting take on the Predator. Would be a flipped scenario, if you think about it. Instead of humans not knowing what they are dealing with, they now know exactly what they are dealing with and despite that, they suffer the consequences.

Anyone have any other ideas? Thoughts?

[Mike]

Would be awesome to see a film on the Predators perspective I have read mostly all the Predator comics and the covers were really cool how some showed the Predator captured and locked up but you only see his face through a glass square window. Some might say that might take the fear away from the creatures showing the movie in his perspective but honestly I don't think it does at all. I think it would be pretty cool to see a movie on his POV. That's just me though

[RakaiThwei]

I am quite a bit apprehensive regarding this movie and where it's gonna go. Naturally I am holding my outlook on it in a neutral spectrum because I don't know anything but I don't wanna get my hopes up. We all know that Shane had an uncredited writing hand on the first movie and that makes me feel a bit hopeful but what keeps me on edge is the guy he chose to do the script.

I liked Fred Dekker and some of his works like Night of the Creeps and Monster Squad but you'd think I would be happy right? Well.. a red flag regarding Dekker is one that's got me worried is a movie Dekker never recovered from, and that's Robocop 3. For me, that movie is too hard to ignore because it killed his directorial career.

I hope my apprehension is proven wrong with this movie. I want something I can enjoy.

[PRJ_since1990]

I am quite a bit apprehensive regarding this movie and where it's gonna go. Naturally I am holding my outlook on it in a neutral spectrum because I don't know anything but I don't wanna get my hopes up. We all know that Shane had an uncredited writing hand on the first movie and that makes me feel a bit hopeful but what keeps me on edge is the guy he chose to do the script.

I liked Fred Dekker and some of his works like Night of the Creeps and Monster Squad but you'd think I would be happy right? Well.. a red flag regarding Dekker is one that's got me worried is a movie Dekker never recovered from, and that's Robocop 3. For me, that movie is too hard to ignore because it killed his directorial career.

I hope my apprehension is proven wrong with this movie. I want something I can enjoy.

Don't we all?

Honestly, IMO, Predator 4 (which I would hope it is not titled officially) should start following the freaking comic story arcs. There are so many awesome stories to pick from which only actual fans know about. I feel like we got a good taste of Predator in the past from Dark Ages, which was phenomenal. I don't believe we must go down that path or similar to make a good movie.

What really concerns me is the idea that people seem to have this "been here, done that" attitude towards films. As if film makers must constantly change various elements to "freshen it up" when people seem to keep returning to the original films to enjoy over and over again! If people love the original so much, why do people insist that we need to do something different to the point where directors/producers deviate so far out that people end up disliking their work or flat out hating it?

As for Pred 4, further develop the Yautja as a species. Introduce new weaponry, new tactics, but keep the original ones and original tactics present too (cloak, mimicry, wrist blades). Show us the difference between a controlled hunt and all-out war. Have a massive battle with the Predators and US Military. Use the post-war recovery as the reason for ramping up space exploration/terraforming efforts (do something with the Yutani name finally) as an effort to preserve humanity by spreading the population out as well as the reason for creating the Colonial Marines...

The two franchises are forever intertwined so might as well make it interesting.   

[RakaiThwei]

You bring up some good points PRJ, ones I wish I had a computer and Internet to better address and respond to in a follow up post. Using my smartphone is just not good enough.

[Mesus]

@RakaiThwei -Ohh! You are apprehensive regarding this movie, are you? Well, I will get right to work and contact the people behind it, and pass along your sentiments. Perhaps they will nix the project because you are apprehensive about it. Here's an idea: if it actually comes to fruition, you can remain apprehensive and stay home, or just pretend it was never made.

[Xenomorphine]

@RakaiThwei -Ohh! You are apprehensive regarding this movie, are you? Well, I will get right to work and contact the people behind it, and pass along your sentiments. Perhaps they will nix the project because you are apprehensive about it. Here's an idea: if it actually comes to fruition, you can remain apprehensive and stay home, or just pretend it was never made.

Civility, please, Mesus. You might not be a member of the forums, but that's no excuse not to treat those who are with some respect.

[pred169]

I am quite a bit apprehensive regarding this movie and where it's gonna go. Naturally I am holding my outlook on it in a neutral spectrum because I don't know anything but I don't wanna get my hopes up. We all know that Shane had an uncredited writing hand on the first movie and that makes me feel a bit hopeful but what keeps me on edge is the guy he chose to do the script.

I liked Fred Dekker and some of his works like Night of the Creeps and Monster Squad but you'd think I would be happy right? Well.. a red flag regarding Dekker is one that's got me worried is a movie Dekker never recovered from, and that's Robocop 3. For me, that movie is too hard to ignore because it killed his directorial career.

I hope my apprehension is proven wrong with this movie. I want something I can enjoy.

Don't we all?

Honestly, IMO, Predator 4 (which I would hope it is not titled officially) should start following the freaking comic story arcs. There are so many awesome stories to pick from which only actual fans know about. I feel like we got a good taste of Predator in the past from Dark Ages, which was phenomenal. I don't believe we must go down that path or similar to make a good movie.

What really concerns me is the idea that people seem to have this "been here, done that" attitude towards films. As if film makers must constantly change various elements to "freshen it up" when people seem to keep returning to the original films to enjoy over and over again! If people love the original so much, why do people insist that we need to do something different to the point where directors/producers deviate so far out that people end up disliking their work or flat out hating it?

As for Pred 4, further develop the Yautja as a species. Introduce new weaponry, new tactics, but keep the original ones and original tactics present too (cloak, mimicry, wrist blades). Show us the difference between a controlled hunt and all-out war. Have a massive battle with the Predators and US Military. Use the post-war recovery as the reason for ramping up space exploration/terraforming efforts (do something with the Yutani name finally) as an effort to preserve humanity by spreading the population out as well as the reason for creating the Colonial Marines...

The two franchises are forever intertwined so might as well make it interesting.   

I love the idea of controlled hunt vs all out war. Personally I would like to see some elements from the concrete jungle novel. Maybe a quick battle between NYPD and preds. Perhaps in the struggle a few preds are wounded and captured before they can activate their wrist nuke. The remaining preds leave unaware their comrades had been captured. When they learn of this travesty they return with more advanced and more powerful weaponry. Determined to gain their tech back before it is reverse engineered to humans advantage.
  At this point maybe we would see a different type of predator. Soldier based. Not something that looks different. What I mean by this is one that acts differently. He doesn't carry himself like any other pred we've seen. Not stealthy and silent but Something more aggressive and determined. Something that doesn't distinguish between armed and unarmed. It's sole purpose is destruction.  Not a black super predator but perhaps more armor and heavy weapons but never cloaks. A predator that is so pumped up on adrenaline that he's batshit crazy with blood lust. And he has full auto plasma casters and plasma based tactical mini nukes.
  Once the tech is recovered they decide they want to teach our race a lesson and unleash full scale war on the planet. Killing millions and pretty much decimating our military forces. Then they leave thinking all was done, completely unaware that we had managed to aquire several pieces of tech during the battle and hide it. The tech is the reverse engineered while the world is in a rebuild phase. THEN comes the world's first plasma phased pulse rifles and plasma based weapons. Other tech would include ftl travel and cloaking devices. The Colonial Maries are then created.

Sorry so long. I get to thinking about the possibilities then I get all excited....[emoji16]