Latest News

More Victims! More Mutilations! An Interview with Predator 2 Director Stephen Hopkins – AvP Galaxy Podcast #121

We have just uploaded the 121st episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast (right-click and save as to download)! And we’re starting 2021 off with a bang! For our 121st episode Corporal Hicks and Voodoo Magic are joined by none other than Predator 2’s director, Stephen Hopkins!

 More Victims! More Mutilations! An Interview with Predator 2 Director Stephen Hopkins - AvP Galaxy Podcast #121

Stephen talks about his experience as a newer director working on Predator 2, how the film would have differed had Arnie been involved, where exactly Peter Keyes torso went, the legendary NC-17 cut of the film and plenty more!

What did you think of our latest episode? Be sure to let us know down below! You can also listen to any of our previous episodes in the Podcast section under the News tab on the main menu. The Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast is also available via iTunesPodBean, GooglePlay Stitcher, and Spotify! Please be sure to leave a rating and review on whichever platform you’re using!

And if you’d rather see our beautiful faces, the video version of the podcast is also available on YouTube!

There appears to be some issues with Hicks video feed being out of sync with the sound, but everyone else seems fine. And if you’d rather read the interview there’s also a transcription available in our interviews section too!

Make sure your browsers are locked into Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the latest Alien and Predator news! You can also follow us on FacebookTwitter, Instagram and YouTube to get the latest on your social media walls. Be sure to join in with fellow Alien and Predator fans on our forums as well!



Post Comment
Comments: 65
« Newer Comments 12 Older Comments »
  1. Corporal Hicks
    Quote from: Kradan on Jan 08, 2021, 06:13:30 PM
    I believe, that in a world where Voodoo gets to talk to Stephen Hopkins, one day TheSailingRabbit will talk to Mark Rolston

    Haha. I'm still holding out hope on getting there someday. But 2021 is not off to a good start for me booking guests so...


    Quote from: Darkness on Jan 08, 2021, 06:49:26 PM
    I think it's a testament to yourself that you managed to track down somebody as elusive as Hopkins. The thing with Predator 2, there just isn't a lot of info out there about it so it's great having something like this. It's a damn underrated sequel. People will moan that it doesn't have Arnie in it or it's set in a city but I like the contrast. It's by far my favourite Predator sequel.

    Thanks, D. We really do try with this! And completely agree on Predator 2 getting attention. I'd go as far as to say Predator over all doesn't really get that kind of attention it deserves.

    QuoteClears up the thing about the 4K. I thought it was going to be a new Blu-ray set with lots of new features. Never expected Fox were going re-release the film back to cinemas.

    No, that was a surprise to me too! Hopefully we'll get that release at some point when normalcy returns.

    QuoteWhat's this Good Morning America interview? I don't think I've seen it.

    I've not come across it myself either. Be worth having a look into, I think!

    QuoteDid he say anything about Anna? Did she have anymore scenes?

    I asked him about it after the fact - not sure how neither of us thought to ask this one!

    He said:

    QuoteI  remember there was a video of her that was supposed to have been shown by Keyes, but no memory of filming a scene around it.


    Quote from: 426Buddy on Jan 09, 2021, 12:56:51 PM
    Really this is just beyond amazing! There are so many nuggets of P2 gold in this interview, it's crazy. You guys and Hopkins have really provided a boon for predator fans with this.

    I'm still laughing after he said the warehouse scene did copy aliens, just a great answer and humble. So much great info here.

    Thank you Hicks and Voodoo, this is really next level stuff.

    He really was such a chill guy. And so many people are commenting on it. I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying this episode!  ;D


    Quote from: bobby brown on Jan 11, 2021, 07:47:11 PM
    What a treat!

    Wonderful interview! You guys are doing a fantastic job with this site.
    I am grateful for avpgalaxy! the best fansite ever!

    No disagreement there... :P


    Quote from: molasar on Jan 11, 2021, 08:22:32 PM
    Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Jan 11, 2021, 02:43:16 PM
    Hopkins and Thomas Brothers are definitely on the bucket list my friend.  :)

    I will look forward to this if it ever happens.

    Oh man, I'd love to speak to the Thomas Brothers. But they've absolutely no presence online, or contact. We'd have to rely on networking there. But hopefully some day...


    Quote from: Marc505 on Jan 11, 2021, 09:49:48 PM
    One thing I would say though, I still would like to see those shards of frames that were cut. Even if they added barely a second or two per scene, that extra hint of gore or the Predator at work would have been a treat.

    I'd love to see that NC17 cut too! It was something I suggested to Fox when we had active contact with the guys running the license over there. Whether or not they found anything, I don't know. It just depends if that original footage still exists.
  2. frasermaxx
    First up a big thank you to Corporal Hicks and Voodoo Magic for this solid and very entertaining interview. Cleared a lot of doubts on Predator 2. Hope to see more of good stuff like this in the future. Keep up the good work!!
  3. Voodoo Magic
    Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Jan 12, 2021, 01:53:59 PM
    Quote from: Hunter-Killer on Jan 11, 2021, 06:22:17 PM
    Good stuff and happy new years, I learn a lot of cool things from these episodes.

    FYI, for any comic nerds out there, I recently came across a sword and sorcery series called "spell jammer," and if you can find issue 4 which came out December 1990, there's a killer Predator 2 movie promo that you can tear out, it's double-sided and probably around 8x14 inches, with the movie poster advertisement on one side and a predator 2 weapons loadout on the other. I paid $1.50 for the comic.
    Cheers

    I'm familiar with the movie promo insert but not being in Spell Jammer #4. I ordered a copy yesterday just in case it's different from the ones I've seen.  And you're right, it was cheap! Thanks for sharing this info H-K!  You da man!! %uD83D%uDC4D

    Yep, this was same insert you could find in a few magazines, but more miniature due to the size of a comic. Smaller, yet still just as cool! Thanks again for the tip H-K!

    https://i.ibb.co/rc55k5G/20210115-100548.jpg
  4. Voodoo Magic
    Quote from: Fiendishly Inventive on Jan 13, 2021, 06:04:46 PM
    Anyone suggested it's possibly a continent?

    Perhaps the Predators come from a world with only one.

    A reminder of home.

    Could be... We know the ship is organic but it doesn't mean that antechamber ceiling piece is. I'd be pretty certain the hieroglyphics aren't organic, but scribed afterwards by the Predators.

    My only issue personally with the map idea is with the pupil/black circle in the center of the proposed map. Unless that represents a volcano or something, or a result of architecture. But hey, that's just me! No assumption is wrong (which is cool!)

    Quote from: Mr.Turok on Jan 13, 2021, 10:31:44 PM
    I just want to see the return of that architectural design for future Predator ships.

    From your lips to the Predator gods ears! Yes please!

    Quote from: bobcunk on Jan 13, 2021, 11:49:06 PM
    Predator 3 is getting a rerelease?  Area's parents most cinemas closed do to to covid? I haven't been in over a year. I can't even remember the last thing I saw, may have been starwars. I've actually have only watched a few movies last year, I think I've only watched the new Planet of the apes trilogy and Misery with Cathy Bates.

    They were planning a 70mm Predator 2 re-release, which not only meant a gorgeous print but more screen to see on the left and right of the frame considering they often used wide 70mm cameras! It sounds like it's already in the can, so hopefully we can see it one day.... :-\

    Quote from: Lost_Hunter on Jan 14, 2021, 12:39:40 AM
    Hey Voodoo, I like the idea of the eye. That'd be a trip it worked with the navigation somehow.

    Navigation? Wow.  :o That would be some crazy good sci-fi!!! I have to let that dwell in my mind a bit! Very cool!

    QuoteHow about that fateful spear tip that Danny went after? What do y'all think happened there?

    I always thought we missed some action there, maybe some rudeboyz were hiding in the hallway and they busted in...

    If I recall correctly, in the shooting script, they had a few more spear tips / darts flying around than we saw on film, but the shooting script never detailed the event leading to stray spear tip. So I assume nothing was filmed to detail that event. It's just an assumed result of a deflection/ricochet during the mayhem of the slaughter! :)
  5. Lost_Hunter
    Hey Voodoo, I like the idea of the eye. That'd be a trip it worked with the navigation somehow. How about that fateful spear tip that Danny went after? What do y'all think happened there?

    I always thought we missed some action there, maybe some rudeboyz were hiding in the hallway and they busted in...
  6. bobcunk
    Predator 3 is getting a rerelease?  Area's parents most cinemas closed do to to covid? I haven't been in over a year. I can't even remember the last thing I saw, may have been starwars. I've actually have only watched a few movies last year, I think I've only watched the new Planet of the apes trilogy and Misery with Cathy Bates.
  7. Mr.Turok
    Great podcast episode!

    Finding out that the predator head being around 45-50 lbs! Damm dude, I have a tough time curling those lbs for my workout sessions, can't imagine that weight on the head, that neck must be sore as hell after work.

    Speaking of the head, that WTF face just brings out the human eyes on it, like it almost justifies how the AVP predator heads look like.

    quote author=Fiendishly Inventive link=topic=64633.msg2502174#msg2502174 date=1610561086]
    Anyone suggested it's possibly a continent?

    Perhaps the Predators come from a world with only one.

    A reminder of home.
    [/quote]

    Now that sounds cool! I just want to see the return of that architectural design for future Predator ships.
  8. Voodoo Magic
    Dafuq??!  :laugh:

    https://media1.tenor.com/images/2635f78984cf6dafd40c230e47c38fc6/tenor.gif

    Quote from: skhellter on Jan 11, 2021, 08:02:37 PM
    Solid interview. (Also glad to find out that Stephen's still working..)

    Indeed! I only wish we could see his Dark Tower pilot.   :-\

    Quote from: bobby brown on Jan 11, 2021, 07:47:11 PM
    What a treat!

    Wonderful interview! You guys are doing a fantastic job with this site.
    I am grateful for avpgalaxy! the best fansite ever!

    Thanks BB. Much appreciated! Hicks is a machine when it comes to getting all this great content out!

    Quote from: Lost_Hunter on Jan 12, 2021, 06:38:07 PM
    Well done guys, that was awesome! Hopkins always did seem chill and down to earth. It was great how he emphasized the Predator as a main character, something the franchise has been missing since. Great job on the questions too, the only one I would have added is why the Predator chose to use the self destruct. Still hoping for those gory scenes to be inserted some day. Looking forward to the next podcast!

    Voodoo, I always took that as stretched skin over a light on the ceiling of the lost ship.

    Ah, yeah. It does have that stretched skin look doesn't it?  That's cool   Man, do I wish designer Larry Paull was alive and available to answer these questions. I personally went with some sort of eye because we know the ship is organic and Peter Levy simulated a heartbeat and breathing with his lighting to feel like Harrigan was in something living. Hopkins angle in the podcast was indeed biomechanical and perhaps built from something like an old gigantic turtoise shell, but then he also suggested possibly grown?  I think only Larry Paull could nail this all down. R.I.P.  Ah, heck, maybe it's better if we don't have the answers like the Space Jockey pre the Alien prequels.

    https://i.ibb.co/7Gsh8nj/IMG-20150810-163538-14.png
  9. Kradan
    Regarding self-destruct: I took it as City Hunter found himself in "checkmate" position while hanging on that building so starting self-destruct sequence was supposed to be his final "f**k you" to Harrigan (and people of LA for that matter).

    What bothers me more is that how choping off CH supposed to stop that
  10. Lost_Hunter
    Well done guys, that was awesome! Hopkins always did seem chill and down to earth. It was great how he emphasized the Predator as a main character, something the franchise has been missing since. Great job on the questions too, the only one I would have added is why the Predator chose to use the self destruct. Still hoping for those gory scenes to be inserted some day. Looking forward to the next podcast!

    Voodoo, I always took that as stretched skin over a light on the ceiling of the lost ship.
  11. Voodoo Magic
    Quote from: BigDaddyJohn on Jan 11, 2021, 03:08:01 PM
    Really enjoyed watching it on youtube, good job guys ! Stephen Hopkins seems like a chill dude.

    Thanks brother. Hopkins really couldn't have been any nicer.

    Quote from: Hunter-Killer on Jan 11, 2021, 06:22:17 PM
    Good stuff and happy new years, I learn a lot of cool things from these episodes.

    FYI, for any comic nerds out there, I recently came across a sword and sorcery series called "spell jammer," and if you can find issue 4 which came out December 1990, there's a killer Predator 2 movie promo that you can tear out, it's double-sided and probably around 8x14 inches, with the movie poster advertisement on one side and a predator 2 weapons loadout on the other. I paid $1.50 for the comic.
    Cheers

    I'm familiar with the movie promo insert but not being in Spell Jammer #4. I ordered a copy yesterday just in case it's different from the ones I've seen.  And you're right, it was cheap! Thanks for sharing this info H-K!  You da man!! 👍

    Quote from: molasar on Jan 11, 2021, 08:22:32 PM
    Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Jan 11, 2021, 02:43:16 PM
    Hopkins and Thomas Brothers are definitely on the bucket list my friend.  :)

    I will look forward to this if it ever happens.

    Aw man, the Thomas Bros? From your lips to the Predator Gods' ears brother!  We have to find the mountainous cave they're hiding in first! :)

    Quote from: Marc505 on Jan 11, 2021, 09:49:48 PM
    Fair play Hicks, Voodoo & co, some serious graft has gone into commemorating the 30th anniversary of Predator 2 culminating in this. You tried to contact everyone involved with the film and ended up landing the biggest fish of the lot!

    Really appreciate all you've done, a great source of new information about the film and some myths busted, too!

    One thing I would say though, I still would like to see those shards of frames that were cut. Even if they added barely a second or two per scene, that extra hint of gore or the Predator at work would have been a treat.

    Thanks so much Marc. And even if we got just a peek, like a still photograph of Keyes' upper torso, it would still be such a treat!
  12. Marc505
    Fair play Hicks, Voodoo & co, some serious graft has gone into commemorating the 30th anniversary of Predator 2 culminating in this. You tried to contact everyone involved with the film and ended up landing the biggest fish of the lot!

    Really appreciate all you've done, a great source of new information about the film and some myths busted, too!

    One thing I would say though, I still would like to see those shards of frames that were cut. Even if they added barely a second or two per scene, that extra hint of gore or the Predator at work would have been a treat.
  13. Hunter-Killer
    Good stuff and happy new years, I learn a lot of cool things from these episodes.

    FYI, for any comic nerds out there, I recently came across a sword and sorcery series called "spell jammer," and if you can find issue 4 which came out December 1990, there's a killer Predator 2 movie promo that you can tear out, it's double-sided and probably around 8x14 inches, with the movie poster advertisement on one side and a predator 2 weapons loadout on the other. I paid $1.50 for the comic.
    Cheers
  14. Voodoo Magic
    It was Voodoo Magical!!

    Quote from: XenoHunter99 on Jan 10, 2021, 06:44:59 PM
    Wow! What a great way for you guys to start the year! Congratulations to you both, Hicks and Voodoo! Feathers in your caps :) Thanks to Stephen Hopkins for granting such a generous and revealing interview. It's wonderful that Mr Hopkins is such a down-to-earth and enthusiastic guy. It was an outstanding listen, too. Enjoyed it very much.

    Thanks Xeno Hunter. And indeed, very down-to-eath and very enthusiastic. He was just a wonderful pleasure to have on! 

    Quote from: molasar on Jan 10, 2021, 07:36:04 PM
    @Voodoo Magic

    https://thumbs.gfycat.com/EarnestGiddyAntelopegroundsquirrel-max-1mb.gif

    Hopkins and Thomas Brothers are definitely on the bucket list my friend.  :)

    Quote from: Kailem on Jan 10, 2021, 08:54:18 PM
    Great interview guys! It's awesome that you were actually able to get Stephen Hopkins! He definitely seems like a really chill guy. I was amazed at how well Voodoo was able to keep himself together! :laugh: Congrats!

    Thanks Kailem!

    I practiced before the interview...

    https://media1.giphy.com/media/ae0xmwpjVglnG/200.gif

  15. Kailem
    Great interview guys! It's awesome that you were actually able to get Stephen Hopkins! He definitely seems like a really chill guy. I was amazed at how well Voodoo was able to keep himself together! :laugh: Congrats!

    It's great to finally have some answers about some of the biggest Predator 2 rumours/urban legends that have cropped up over the years, especially the general outline of what the movie would have been if Dutch had been involved. As soon as he mentioned that Joel Silver had produced 48 Hours it all clicked into place. That definitely would have been cool to see, though I do think the lack of Dutch helped "free" the franchise from being too dependant on any particular characters, and the movie turned out great as it is.

    And yeah, finally the mystery of Keyes' torso is solved! The MPAA swooped in and grabbed it before it could hit the ground! Interesting to hear he was offered Alien 3 as well, though given his reasoning I totally get why he turned it down. Still, it's always fun to hear about any sort of "road not taken" stories when it comes to movies, so that was a cool tidbit too.

    That was indeed a very cool listen!
  16. XenoHunter99
    Wow! What a great way for you guys to start the year! Congratulations to you both, Hicks and Voodoo! Feathers in your caps :) Thanks to Stephen Hopkins for granting such a generous and revealing interview. It's wonderful that Mr Hopkins is such a down-to-earth and enthusiastic guy. It was an outstanding listen, too. Enjoyed it very much.
  17. Voodoo Magic
    Quote from: Kradan on Jan 09, 2021, 10:01:40 PM
    I've never felt there was something missing in that scene. It's more effective that way - burst of glass and the next thing we see is room full of blood and hung bodies. And we've just had one big action scene anyway

    https://i.ibb.co/yXVssxG/20210110-092554.gif

    Quote from: Billiken on Jan 09, 2021, 11:18:16 PM
    Predator 2 is probably my only true love. No floozie chick who has come into my life has never given me the enjoyment P2 gives. I'd love to see a prequel or sequel book or comic that relates to P2. It along with Aliens are the films I turn to when feeling shit

    Predator 2 AND Aliens?

    https://hips.hearstapps.com/digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/16/11/1457975259-armwrestle.gif

    Quote from: Enjoy on Jan 10, 2021, 01:11:44 AM
    I remember but could be confused that Key's Torso gets impaled on a meat hook according to the authors of the script. Got that info from the CC commentary from   the Thomas Brothers on the P2 DVD.

    When did they say that on the commentary? I don't have a recollection of that. It didn't happen during the halving of Keyes...

    QuoteIs Mr. Hopkins aware of the new predator movie being worked on .? When he talked about the hunter he met who had his fingers bitten off by a bear, I thought of the timeline the new movies takes place. He seemed to really understand the charactor as a hunter and warrior .

    We didn't discuss it but agreed, Hopkins has a perfect perception of it.

    Quote from: Elmazalman on Jan 10, 2021, 10:24:43 AM
    Bummer. So, no big SUPER CUT revelations then?

    Frames of graphic violence rather than whole scenes were cut?

    That probably explains why sweet F.A. deleted scenes appeared on the home video releases.

    Yeah, I was never personally subscribed to it but I do feel bad for the people who did. I would imagine it was a fun holy grail to chase, now extinguished.
  18. Elmazalman
    Bummer. So, no big SUPER CUT revelations then?

    Frames of graphic violence rather than whole scenes were cut?

    That probably explains why sweet F.A. deleted scenes appeared on the home video releases.
  19. Enjoy
    I remember but could be confused that Key's Torso gets impaled on a meat hook according to the authors of the script. Got that info from the CC commentary from   the Thomas Brothers on the P2 DVD.

    Is Mr. Hopkins aware of the new predator movie being worked on .? When he talked about the hunter he met who had his fingers bitten off by a bear, I thought of the timeline the new movies takes place. He seemed to really understand the charactor as a hunter and warrior .
  20. Billiken
    Predator 2 is probably my only true love. No floozie chick who has come into my life has never given me the enjoyment P2 gives. I'd love to see a prequel or sequel book or comic that relates to P2. It along with Aliens are the films I turn to when feeling shit
  21. Kradan
    I've never felt there was something missing in that scene. It's more effective that way - burst of glass and the next thing we see is room full of blood and hung bodies. And we've just had one big action scene anyway
  22. Voodoo Magic
    Quote from: ROYCE_THE_PREDATOR on Jan 09, 2021, 08:54:38 PM
    I'm still confused to what was cut from the movie? Stephen says it was little bits of gore here and there of dead bodies hanging. But is that all?

    Yep. No scenes were cut. It all grew to a big urban legend.

    Just read what Stephen Hopkins said, courtesy of the absolute awesome job Darkness did transcribing the interview! 👏


    • "I'd love to be able to come with some stuff again but actually it was really frame by frame cutting. I think we had to go back 17 times with the film and a part of it was political. I think they were trying to make a statement with Joel's films because he was making all these big violent action films and I'd already had a run in with them on Nightmare on Elm Street as well. They also had a hard on a little bit for Bob Shaye in the Nightmare films and it was just this period of time.

      Because I'd had a run in with them and Joel constantly, they wanted to make a bit of an example. At one point it was thought "Well maybe we should just go with the NC17. Maybe that would be huge. The first time anyone had done it." But there's all the repercussions like not being advertised in newspapers and this is obviously before the internet. So it was really a choice that the studio wasn't willing to make. In the end, actually, it was more to do with political conversations I think as well as tiny cuts and some of the nudity in the Jamaican scene with Teri Weigel and hanging shots too long. It was really that kind of boring stuff that you could cut out.

      They didn't cause us to cut any scenes out of the film. It was just sort of trying to whiz by things."

    QuoteSo when the Colombians were getting killed in the beginning that scene was never filmed?

    No. Never filmed. There was no such scene in the Shooting Script to film. It goes from "El Scorpio is ready", to glass shattering & battle noises, to "Sarge, any of your people in the building?"

  23. ROYCE_THE_PREDATOR
    I'm still confused to what was cut from the movie? Stephen says it was little bits of gore here and there of dead bodies hanging. But is that all?


    So when the Colombians were getting killed in the beginning that scene was never filmed?
  24. Voodoo Magic
    Yep!  :)

    Quote from: 426Buddy on Jan 09, 2021, 03:52:14 PM
    That's great now I'm going to have to watch the whole  podcast  :laugh:. Only listened to it the first time lol.

    :laugh: I believe that's the only podcast moment that couldn't be ascertained without video.

    Quote from: Enjoy on Jan 09, 2021, 04:27:11 PM
    That picture of preds in the cemetary, Is that an indication that predator had a scene that was cut out at the cemetary ?

    I wouldn't say a cut "scene", but perhaps an uncamouflaged moment during the Want Some Candy/Danny Necklace scene. However they did create some camouflage moments with Stan's suit versus just the traditional red suit.
« Newer Comments 12 Older Comments »
AvPGalaxy: About | Contact | Cookie Policy | Manage Cookie Settings | Privacy Policy | Legal Info
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Patreon RSS Feed
Contact: General Queries | Submit News