Now that we’ve got the first teaser trailer for The Predator, the flood gates on marketing seem to have opened! JoBlo and CinemaBlend have just released interviews from their own set visits that took place in April 2017.
First up we have JoBlo’s new article, a really interesting interview that was conducted with Shane Black while on set. Black talks working with Fred Dekker, giving his actors the freedom for improvisation, on the focus of the main characters suffering from PTSD, Logan’s influence and plenty of really interesting thoughts!
If you’re a listener to our podcasts or a reader of our reviews you’ll have seen I like to mention how flexible I believe the Predator series is. This is something Black talks about a few times throughout the interview and how it effected the approach he took with The Predator:
“Well, I think that there’s a basic premise that has to be honored every time you make a Predator film and that’s in some way, whatever the plot turns out to be, it has to, at some level, represent a hunt. But, beyond that I think there’s infinite variability. It’s like, monkey bars, you ever play on the jungle gym when you were a kid? It looks like they’re rigid and hard and it’d be hard to play on these things because they’re so rough, but if you go inside them there’s actually a lot of room to move around, you just know that the borders are there every once in a while.“
The Predator director also spoke about his decision to cast people decidedly un-Arnold like, Black said it was a “reaction against perfection and the Predator going up against a perfect specimen all the time. And that being solely based on physical appearance and muscles and I thought, well, maybe misfits; maybe there’s a version in which misfits play more of a role and maybe there’s even a sense that The Predator himself is even an outcast. So, we were trying to find thematic elements that work for us.”
CinemaBlend have also posted a small article with Boyd Holbrook’s about the how and why of how Quinn McKenna responds to the Predators in the new film:
“I’ve seen something, and maybe there is a familiarity. I wouldn’t want to say that he’s a UFO conspiracy theorist, but he’s heard of things and seen things, and that may be a reference to the original. So that’s the reference to the original, which we are of keeping in lineage.”
We expect the rest of the bigger movie outlets will also start to release their set reports in the coming days. Thanks to ace3g for the news.
Keep checking in with Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest on The Predator! You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get the latest on your social media walls. You can also join in with fellow Predator fans on our forums!
Interesting read.
Spoiler
Outstanding
On another note, have there been any early names for the new predator floating around yet? We've got city hunter, jungle hunter, etc. Anybody got any ideas? "burbhunter" maybe?
http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3432561/set-visit-bleeds-can-kill-effects-design-predator/
So you know Shane Black is not your average joe when it comes to directing, storytelling, character development ? Stuff you can barely see in the teaser (even though the cinematography looks very good and deserve to be mentioned).
Unfortunately some people (not everyone of course) think that because of the shuriken and the single wristblade, this movie will be related to AVP and Predators... I don't
If this goes well at the box office we will see a lot more movies and sooner .At the end of the day that's what we all want
"So AVPgalaxy I said this day might come and I want to say " I was wrong for slagging the film off based on a old script , I like where Shane black is going with this thing and that I now have full faith in black "
So I guess debating wit you for the last few months weren't for nothing my friend
Man hopefully this movie going to be goood!
anyone who knows me on avpgalaxy will tell you , for the last 6 months Iv been talking nothing but negativity about this film based on the script that I have at hand, I hated it, but the thing is the teaser proved me wrong and I enjoyed the new direction it's going in. I do believe it's time the franchise branches out in new creative ways. There's only so many times you can keep making a film about a squad of guys getting hunted before it turns stale.
Something has to change , and you forget they have to sell to a fresh audience everytime , the predator fan base is quite small really , they can't bank on just us going to see the movie. I'm actually very excited I'm going to see a new predator film that isn't a rehash.
So AVPgalaxy I said this day might come and I want to say " I was wrong for slagging the film off based on a old script , I like where Shane black is going with this thing and that I now have full faith in black "
Some fans will just hate anything , no matter what you do
I think there's plenty of people who weren't happy with the AVP movies (not accepting everything blindly) who are still looking forward to this film. I'm looking forward to this but I haven't made up my mind whether or not I'll like it or not. I need to see it first, or at the very least, I need to see a full trailer.
I didn't finish school as a writer and director, but took movie history, basics of storytelling, and graduated as a 3d artist for enertaiment buisnes(originaly started as 2d animator). And from my little knoweladge of movie making, I am not 100% sure that this movie will fail(as you saying). Shane Black is a good writer and director and I believe a very good artist. He is always using crazy ideas for his movies and usually it worked out well.
Also first Predator movie was a fluke, Thanks to a lot of people this movie became a classic (Stan Winston, Brothers Thomas, Joel Silverm, Arnold, Silvestry, other actors etc), but I personally think that main reason for Predator suscess was John McTiernan, He is just a very talanted director for action thrillers. And here we see a kind of cartoony comic story about big musculars soldiers fighting an aline hunter, becoming movie classic for 30 + years already.
So yes, i believe any crazy and not serious ideas can become classic, if the developers will get lucky with producers, actors etc. and DIRECTOR.
Also my last favourite movie about Predator, was Predator 2 and I didn't liek any other movies with Predator (I an tollerate Predators )
By Marvel movie I mean, the over all tone and the development of the plot as well as the look of the characters will be in the current marvel formula vein. Rather than the less is more approach to the plot they went full retard in front of Saturday morning cartoons with it. This movie is the epitome of the phrase,"jumping the shark".
Instead of relying on the strong following and cannon set with the first two movies, they opt to go with the garbage set forth in the AvP and Predators movie. Which was a sorry excuse of an homage/reboot/whatever you call it of a movie. The truth is these movies have been terrible and everyone who says they are is just desperate for anything the throw at us and except it with blind loyalty.
I've been into these characters since before the internet. Since before you could get anything more than a trailer before it came to theater and that was on the TV or in the theater only. No forums to chat about them and speculate. No way to scrub the trailers for clues. No merchandise except the Kenner line which is where those ideas should stay. They are childish ideas of the characters meant to sell. Not to make a good movie out of. The first two movies were so good because they didn't have too many cooks in the kitchen no franchise to sell for the future. Just two related stories. Movies today are made for the wrong reasons and it shows in the final product.
Corporal Hicks...when I say in the vein of the originals I don't mean a carbon copy or some half baked homage. Mainly I mean to stick with the design of the Predator character without deviating so hard. If Stan Winston can think up a whole tribe of individual predators and not go for the ridiculous like over sized weapons, football player size bodies, unimaginative and ugly look to their face and over all appearance. Or make a story that sounds like a bad syfy channel plot, when there is plenty of source material out there that walks the line of the originals in all the regards that these newer movies havent been. Less is MORE.
Not at all. I'd always prefer it if people posted the links back to the source. I've split your posts off and merged with the set reports thread though.
Just because he doesn't want to repeat the original movies doesn't equate to trying to release a "Marvel Predator" movie. Comments like that always make me laugh though. The silliest, and quite frankly wrong, complaint that gets directed at Predators is that it was a remake of the first. And yet there are people such as yourself who complain that the new film isn't just something that hits the same beats as the first 2 films.
The Predator is so insanely versatile. And it's something I've thought for a long time. There's more to it than just being able to plonk a hunt in a different time period. I'm really excited to see that Shane had this mentality. Just hope he pulls it off.
Also gents - I hate having to remind people to show each other some respect. Or at the very least act like adults without throwing digs at each other.
Another one from BD - http://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3432561/set-visit-bleeds-can-kill-effects-design-predator/
Not read yet.
http://collider.com/shane-black-interview-the-predator/
And maybe you lack of filmmaking knowledge ? Just asking
What do you mean with marvel predator movie?
Dont speak for " The Rest " champion. It's cool you are not a fan and that's ok. No need to get upset at the people who like it though
For the record, i've never seen a Marvel movie so i have no idea what you mean
:-) 👍
I'm not sure buddy
I know it would have been easier to post the article but I wasn't sure if they rules would have allowed that so I copy, paste.
Thanks for posting Lionheart.
Bloody-disgusting article in case anyone was wondering:
http://bloody-disgusting.com/interviews/3431416/interview-day-prey-cast-details-characters-predator/
Shane Black has made a name for himself by pioneering the buddy/action picture with films like Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout. His newest movie looks to expand his usual duos into a full on ensemble with The Predator. When I visited the set, the emphasis from almost all parties involved was on "character". It's true that for an audience to be invested in a picture, focus must be placed on our heros. If we're not rooting for them, why should we care at all? The core group carries the telling moniker of "The Loonies". Each member is former military coping in various degrees with PTSD and remorse from their time spent in war.
It's clear that Black's intention is to craft an epic thrill ride utilizing various genre motifs in a mash up straight out of the 80's, but the groundwork for such a piece is built from the characters up. He contrasts his style to other big budget tentpole spectacles that are crammed to the brim with massive stunts:
"Our quest to be a cut above is to make it so we keep changing it up so that it feels more like a thriller and less like just action. Because action to me is not sustainable over two hours. You can like it. You can like the Transporter movies. They're fun, but at the end you don't feel like you've had an experience with a guy that you want to sit down with. You feel like you've watched an action character flex his muscles. Hopefully we give you a bigger canvas, more action, and better characters. That's a big get. That's a lot."
Quint (Boyd Holbrook) – The Leader
Hot off his villainous role in the hit Wolverine pic, Logan, Boyd Holbrook is no stranger to big budget genre pictures. This, however, is a lead role; as Holbrook puts it, he will "carry the movie on his back." It's not hard to believe as the actor is pulled from the tent twice for his on set obligations during the fairly short interview. His character, Quint, is the estranged father of Rory (Jacob Tremblay). While not an OG Looney, Quint is thrust into the group and becomes their de facto leader, and he might just be the catalyst for the ensuing alien insanity. In fact, it's hinted that Quint has a direct connection to the original film (remember that familiar jungle set I mentioned?):
"You find him doing mercenary work. Basically collecting a paycheck. You got something you need done down in Mexico. I'm your guy. So he's estranged from his wife. He's detached from his son. Really the heart of the story is about reconnecting and being a father, reconnecting and getting all these looney tune guys who have no direction, to give them some purpose...What is interesting, if I may say – I've seen something and maybe there is a familiarity or, I wouldn't want to say he's a UFO conspirator but he's heard of things and seen things [from his time in Mexico]. So that's the reference to the original. We are keeping some sort of lineage."
Holbrook doesn't seem interested in repeating the same types of roles from picture to picture. When opportunity knocked for him to battle against the Predator, he jumped at the chance.
"What attracted me to this, it was a completely new story...for this character, what Shane wanted to do, the higher story, is to give a complete freshness...to give it a heartbeat. Going away from the machismo, ya know, guns and guns...And, I love that film, but I think we're setting out to do something really different."
Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key) – The Loud Mouth
When Key stepped into the tent I was instantly taken by his presence; tall, animated, charming (I was man crushing pretty hard). "I'm the big mouth of The Loonies!" It was abundantly clear that Key was as jazzed to be on set as we were, and he was relishing the moment.
"There were certainly things that I'm not allowed to share with you that made my eyes pop out of my head...There's always a nice, sly, meta quality [to Black's writing]. This picture contains great referential stuff to not just the original movie, but to Predator 2 and every other movie in the franchise, the Alien vs Predator universe...The way he references the movies is very clever if you're a huge Predator fan. I'm a HUGE fan of this universe."
While it seems this bit of backstory might not make it to film, Key explains how his character, Coyle, and the rest of The Loonies wind up getting caught in a battle with extraterrestrial hunters. The gang meets weekly at the local VA for group therapy, and their biggest complaint is the piss poor coffee. Finally, they start a mutiny over the junky java and get themselves detained. On the bus ride to the nuthouse is where it seems the story proper begins:
"Boyd's character just happens to be thrown on the same bus with them. So, that's how he becomes our ad hoc leader. [Coyle] has a very jarhead mentality, 'Well, okay, so there are aliens.' Brbrbrbrbrbr (mimicking the sound of gunfire)...He's never fully engaged. He's always standing a little outside of himself, so he doesn't have to deal with his own pain. He goes, 'I guess we're doing this. I guess these seven foot dreadlock dudes are real.' He pretends like he takes it with a grain of salt..We're all a little off. We're not the dream team."
Baxley (Thomas Jane) – The Loose Canon
"They're taking us down to the, ya know, the big hospital where they're going to lock us up for a few days for observation. That's when Boyd gets thrown on the bus too with us, cause he's seen an alien and they want to cover that shit up. So, Boyd and all these lunatics end up going on this adventure."
Thomas Jane manages to provide the most succinct plot synopsis thus far with his dryly humorous delivery. Jane has gotten to play in a lot of fanboy sand boxes, and The Predator is just another in a long list that includes a Marvel movie, Stephen King adaptation, and his current Syfy series, The Expanse. As Baxley, Jane's character is the closest with Key's Coyle. During a friendly fire incident, Coyle made a fatal mistake that led to the death of Baxley's troupe, ultimately leaving Baxley shell shocked and now suffering from tourettes. "I know that Shane and Keegan came up with a lot of the backstory themselves...We've tried to pepper that stuff, weave it into the story." Speaking of Black and the freedom to play around outside the script:
"He creates a tone that's very hard to do. It's serious. The stakes are high. The people are real, yet it's funny as f**k...He hits a bell inside of me that I really enjoy."
Nettles (Augusto Augilera) – The Lovable One
Augusto Aguilera might not be a name you know yet, but his character of Nettles is described as the "heart" of the group. Nettles is a role that just might put the young actor on the map. Aguilera is instantly relatable and down to earth as he describes being in the unemployment office just weeks before landing the role. When asked how big a fan he is of the Predator franchise, he tells of how he and his brothers "played" Predator after having seen the original movie:
"I would be, for some reason, I was The Body, Jesse Ventura. We'd run around the house and my poor mother and father would freak out. We'd run around and shoot guns and shoot at them cause they were the alien at the time...We'd get dressed in full costume doing this, because my mom saved all of our costumes from Halloween. We'd be in full camo. We'd paint our faces...So my fandom? Out of ten? Ten."
The character of Nettles is a bit of an outsider trying to fit in with this group of damaged tough guys. He used to fly helicopters as part of a special forces group known as The Nightstalkers. An injury from a past mission left him with TBI (traumatic brain injury). "So, I'm just a beat behind. Which is easy for me to play," he says with a sheepish grin. On preparing to tackle the sensitive subject of TBI, Aguilera explains, "You prepare with, just trying to get kind of a sense of humanity. You don't want to be there doing these things and the people that actually are afflicted with this, you don't want them to feel like they've been spoofed...That would ruin me."
From playing pretend soldiers as a kid, Aguilera has come full circle to playing pretend as an adult. Thankfully, this time around he got a bit more training before being sent off to faux-warfare:
"They've got some special forces guys here and they've just been, they've like handed us a bunch of guns and blanks, obviously, and they've been teaching us to do all this stuff. I'm walking around now in Vancouver thinking I'm like six feet tall. I feel like I'm so cool cause I can shoot a gun. I have no idea if I can hit a target, but I can LOOK pretty cool shooting it."
Lynch (Alfie Allen) – The Loner
Alfie Allen is very quiet and observant. He sits before us patiently awaiting each question and providing only the few necessary words to relay his intent, nothing more. Unsurprisingly, his character, Lynch, is described as the loner of the group who tries to intimidate those around him with nothing more than a glare. Though, he apparently has one other trick up his sleeve. "He's got a skill which is, um, sleight of hand. He uses card tricks to sort of fill his alone time, but I guess also, it's just kind of a nervous tick."
Allen has a bit more to say when it comes the film itself:
"It's very real. Rather than it just sort of being 'Hey, tough guys! This is an alien. We can deal with it!' We're all just really dealing with it as humans...I think it's different from the other Predators...When I was reading the script, it immediately jumped out towards me that this is a whole different ballgame."
Nebraska (Trevante Rhodes) – The Right Hand Man
"This is awesome. This is obviously a big difference from what I'm used to!"
Very true words, coming from Trevante Rhodes who has gone from the groundbreaking, Oscar nominated indie film, Moonlight, to the newest sci-fi/action epic in a long running franchise. Rhodes has a laid back demeanor, calm and cool as he points out that one of my fellow reporters is "cheesing" from the excitement of being on set. It's as if this newfound celebrity hasn't yet caught up to the hot up and comer. In the film, Rhodes takes on the role of Nebraska:
"He's the man behind the man, in regards to Boyd Holbrook's character. He's kind of the guy who helps keep him on track and helps push him and everything. So, he's kind of the leader behind the leader of this motley crew...Nebraska, he was someone who had his own special forces group, he had his own unit....he made a wrong decision and got everybody killed except for himself...
That's something he's still struggling with and why he's kind of distanced himself from the world. Then he stumbles upon these people that kind of assume that same kind of family...I've been in the shits. I've lost it. Know what I mean, I have nothing left to lose. A man that has nothing left to lose will try anything twice...Obviously, we get into this world of aliens and he's like 'Well, what else could happen?'"
Rhodes continues to heap the resounding accolades onto Black for his ability to breathe new life into an old franchise and help root it in strong characters. "It's exactly what you would expect from Shane Black, but obviously placed within this unique world, but with...more heart than what I've seen from Shane's work before."
Dr. Brackett (Olivia Munn) – The Brains
As the sole female lead, Olivia Munn's Dr. Casey Brackett is far from just another "token female" or one note, super-powered badass. She's a legitimate human being thrust into an extraordinary situation. The actress is as friendly and welcoming as she appeared to be those many moons ago on G4. She's come a long way from co-hosting a nerd tech talk show. "My character has been on a list from the CIA because she is an evolutionary biologist, and because of her expertise...she gets called in to the labs and gets to try and offer her help — and then things happen!" she coyly ends as to avoid any spoilers.
"There's a small scene where my character is shown pictures [of the predator] for the first time....This is like seeing God to her. This is what she's studying, how creatures change and evolve and how it's not scary. It's a very beautiful thing to see...There is an element of realizing when you're in danger and at the same time, trying to assess. She doesn't just jump to conclusions just because she doesn't look like them and she isn't speaking the same language, doesn't mean that you shoot it right away. That's a lesson for everyone in life."
When asked if we might see the Predators evolve and change throughout the film, Munn gives a cheeky grin and responds, "That's a very good question."
Rory (Jacob Tremblay) – The Key
The ten year old boy who has been making a name for himself since the critically acclaimed role in The Room is far from your typical child actor. He's smart as a whip and gives commanding, thoughtful performances; but unlike some Stepford-esque child actors, Tremblay is still a kid at heart who gets excited by the idea of Nerf Guns. Though, Shane Black jokingly thinks otherwise, "It's uncanny. He's a mutant...I've never seen anything like it. Like cramming Peter O'Toole into a miniature body."
We learn that Tremblay's character, Rory, is autistic. This leaves him with an uncanny ability to understand various languages...perhaps even that of the Predators? To prepare for the role Tremblay and Black visited various autism centers where the young actor was able to meet those living with the condition and better understand their physicality. While it may have been research for the role, in Tremblay's words they just went "to hang out with some kids."
While he may be too young to buy a ticket for The Predator once it's released, they hasn't stopped Tremblay from seeing the original film.
"It was really exciting because I saw the first movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I loved [it] and I wanted to be him for Halloween. Plus, this is my first action movie, and I was really excited about that...When I heard I could get the part I was like, "YEAH!"
It doesn't hurt that Tremblay, Black, and Holbrook have had what sounds like several Nerf battles at the film's production office, but Tremblay was obviously having a blast working on this particular set. "I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun."
Just how fun is it acting against a 7 foot tall killer alien? Surely that would be terrifying for a 10 year old? Nah. Tremblay excitedly told us, "I got to fist bump him!"
Where did I say that this movie is bad?
Predator is my all time favourite character, there is nothing you could say to me that I don't already know about when it comes to predator , and here's the thing , the trailer didn't offend me , not one bit . This is dispite the fact Iv read the script three times , seen the early leaked photos and know everything that's going to happen , I didn't like the script but I knew it was always going to be on strong performances and the tone of the film that makes it successful. There wasn't a lot to go of but what I seen I liked. They kept it simple and to the point , there's nothing wrong with that. If the film sucks sure slate it , but until then you guys really need to get of your high horse and give it a chance first. 😂
About bad ideas. Arnold (and a lot of fans) thinks that taking predator out from the jungle and puting him in the city is a bad idea. With waht I personally disagree, and I love the second movie(part of the reason because of new location). So people's translation of bad ideas do varies, therefore saying "Bad idea is bad idea and no alternative" is pretty categorical and subjective saying)
I agree but I thought the predator here looked better then the super preds from predators.
I'm definitely interested to see Shane Black's take. Happy to see a Busey back in the mix!
I also think it's in some way good that this movie while in production already was hated by fans, compare to Prometheus which had every body being excited for the continuation of the Alien with Ridley Scott end up being pretty controversial, and not delivering what "fans" wanted. I think in this case it's better that "fans" are on guard, and probably it will make them pleased that it didn't end up being like Prometheus(of course if The Predator going to be good movie).
P.S. also I am super hyped because I was thinking about Shane Blacks movies, and I came to conclusion that I liked them all. Actually Iron Man 3 was my favourite out of all Iron Man movies
Time will tell my friend
"The government is involved in this and it takes it to the level of what happens when The Predator strikes, these incursions are not just a every-once-in-a-while phenomenon known to a few, but have come to the attention of an establishment that is actually set on preparing for and marshaling forces against these incoming Predator strikes." ... "And also, what happens when the Predators get a little more ambitious. Maybe it's not just a weekend anymore."
Love this. Definitely a good foundation for future films.
My thoughts exactly
I belive so. So that means it's bigger then avp 70 mill, avpr 40 mill predators 40 mill
Unlike most people on here, I haven't expected this film to be a disaster. But, I did have reservations about a couple ideas here and there. Now though? After reading about Shane's thought process on this film?
I feel like even if the movie doesn't live up to the unrealistically high expectations, that many fans have for it. That it will still end up being a solid entry in the PREDATOR franchise.
September can't come soon enough!
Just read the whole thing and I must admit, that got me f**king excited
Just checked the other big outlets and seems no-one else has released yet.
I'm about halfway through Black's interview on JoBlo and I'm just f**king in love with him now. He's on my wavelength. The Predator story has a huge amount of versatility and making use of it.
"It's the ambitiousness of not wanting to stay small and just wanting to pack as many different possibilities."
Him wanting to take the Predator's up against people who aren't this image of perfection based on "physical appearance and muscles."
Yeah...Shane I was a little apprehensive about how some of the more controversial aspects were going to be handled but damn, you've got me now. Complete faith.