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Artist William Stout Shares Another Unique “Predator” Creature Concept

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Illustrator William Stout revealed another early creature concept recently that he designed for the 1987 classic film “Predator” and unlike Stout’s previous creation said to be inspired by the work of H.R. Giger, this newly shared piece was inspired by a very unique source!

William Stout revealed in his The Worlds of William Stout blog yesterday that this latest design of an early Hunter/Predator was referenced directly from nature, a certain ray-finned fish with prominent barbels:

WILLIAM STOUT: “I drew another take on the Predator‘s design that was based upon a catfish skeleton.”

CATFISH SKELETON 

Artist William Stout Shares Another Unique "Predator" Creature Concept

 

HUNTER / PREDATOR CONCEPT 

Artist William Stout Shares Another Unique "Predator" Creature Concept

Like Stout’s previous creations, this Predator concept was ultimately never realized, but William Stout indicated that this particular creature design “was a hit with director John McTiernan.” 

Be sure to let us know what you think of this early catfish skeleton inspired concept art for Predator and check out William Stout’s website for some really wonderful content from his career. And thanks again to community member Gilfryd for the ‘heads up’.

To stay current on all the latest Predator news, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, 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!


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  1. Voodoo Magic
    Posted
    Quote from: Biggles on Oct 03, 2021, 06:39:58 PM
    Thank you Voodoo Magic; I remember reading your excellent post on that; it's partly why I was confused about Stout's contribution as it doesn't appear. Although Winston clearly had a thing about credit, it looks like Stout is forgetting/glossing over the contributions of others; I can't see how we jump from his concepts to Winston's mandibles. And it still looks to me that SWS at least did a full redesign on the head, not just the mandibles.

    Happy to help! :)

    Stout did at least credit Robert Short's team in one of his blog posts to some degree. I just wish Stan Winston did, considering the masked Predator was already pretty much designed before Stan Winston Studio got the job.

    https://i.ibb.co/QkjvtjY/5181-1384987205-2bee994f0cba3df4c695a4090fafc1ce.jpg

    May 22, 2022, 09:34:52 AM

    Quote from: SuperiorIronman on Oct 03, 2021, 02:23:53 PM
    Been meaning to post this but I do find it interesting Illfonic's "Haze" helmet does bear a resemblance to Stout's take on the Predator. A combination yes but I couldn't help but notice that.

    https://forum.predator.illfonic.com/uploads/default/original/2X/7/7b90691792be9e0e5b795fbbb5aad9bed00586ba.jpeg

    Good eye!
    Reply
  2. Biggles
    Posted
    Thank you Voodoo Magic; I remember reading your excellent post on that; it's partly why I was confused about Stout's contribution as it doesn't appear. Although Winston clearly had a thing about credit, it looks like Stout is forgetting/glossing over the contributions of others; I can't see how we jump from his concepts to Winston's mandibles. And it still looks to me that SWS at least did a full redesign on the head, not just the mandibles.
    Reply
  4. Voodoo Magic
    Posted
    Quote from: Biggles on Oct 02, 2021, 02:07:40 PM
    I am confused. I was under the impression that Winston's team created the final Predator creature from whole cloth after the Boss insectoid thing was ditched. This is the version of events that SWS still gives (without any mention of Stout); https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/predator-30th-anniversary-behind-the-scenes

    Clearly Stout did several concepts for the movie, and I presume created the final insectoid version? According to him though, he also designed the final form, minus the mandibles;

    QuoteI designed The Predator (My friend Rick Baker brought me in on this. I was really happy to get the gig; not so much because it was designing a monster but because it was my first work on a union film, a nice breakthrough, career-wise). Stan's people built the suit based on my designs and plussed it by adding that cool four-pronged mouth idea.
    Source: https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/2008/06/17/stan-winston-r-i-p/

    Does anyone know the actual timeline here? He doesn't even mention the Boss version.

    It would appear Stout was brought in on Hunter (Predator) in 1985 based on his post, but definitely before filming when John McTiernan was still wanting a design similar to the Giger painting, a creature with the American Football shaped head (which is what he got with the Boss Films design.) I do find it interesting that McTiernan, when knocking the first Predator design, doesn't seem to mention his partial culpability or perhaps he was the catalyst of the design.

    But here is roughly what we know about whom was in involved in fixing the Predator:

    PREDATOR: Fixing the Creature - Robert Short Productions & John McTiernan
    https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/index.php?topic=62388.0

    But I'm glad you shared that link regarding "Invaders From Mars". It's creating a disheartening pattern of Stan Winston taking credit sometimes for other people's work, which appears to have happened somewhat on Predator.
    Reply
  5. Biggles
    Posted
    I am confused. I was under the impression that Winston's team created the final Predator creature from whole cloth after the Boss insectoid thing was ditched. This is the version of events that SWS still gives (without any mention of Stout); https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/blog/predator-30th-anniversary-behind-the-scenes

    Clearly Stout did several concepts for the movie, and I presume created the final insectoid version? According to him though, he also designed the final form, minus the mandibles;

    QuoteI designed The Predator (My friend Rick Baker brought me in on this. I was really happy to get the gig; not so much because it was designing a monster but because it was my first work on a union film, a nice breakthrough, career-wise). Stan's people built the suit based on my designs and plussed it by adding that cool four-pronged mouth idea.
    Source: https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/2008/06/17/stan-winston-r-i-p/

    Does anyone know the actual timeline here? He doesn't even mention the Boss version.
    Reply
  7. Immortan Jonesy
    Posted
    This stunningly-made article is to get lost among so much breathtakingly content. Although I still not sure how I missed all this.Thanks Voodoo. I am so thankful for what you did, because I love everything from Giger. :)
    Reply
  8. Gilfryd
    Posted
    More tidbits -

    QuoteI was not the sole designer of the Predator creature. I heard there was some trouble with the suit after they began shooting in the jungle. Other special effects make-up designers were brought in who made some great design enhancements to the monster suit.

    The great Robert Short came up with those cool high tech-style dreadlocks.

    Someone on Stan Winston's talented team created that super cool four-pronged mouth.

    "Success has many fathers; failure is an orphan."

    Also some 'recent interpretations' (not concept art) of the Predator by Stout -
    https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/
    Reply
  13. Corporal Hicks
    Posted
    Actually I have a roundabout way of checking an earlier draft than the ones we have (I think the second). Let me have a quick look.

    Okay, so that ended in the Predator actually surviving and Matheny telling the Predator to f**k off Earth.

    And it was the lizard Predator, not the armoured one.
    Reply
  14. Voodoo Magic
    Posted
    Hmm. Don't quite know where to go with this. There's two ways to look at this I think.

    TINY, LITTLE AS IN SIZE:
    Is Stout's memory 100% accurate? If so, I wish all the concept art he was sharing included the "tiny, frail little creature" inside. (My mind went directly to ID4 too SiL :D)

    The earliest draft of "Hunter" in public circulation (I believe) is dated July 27th, 1985, but the Thomas Brothers sold their Hunter spec script back in January 28th 1985, so there is that 6 month gap. If true, and if this is a reflection of what the Hunter creature looked like possibly in the very first spec script, than the implications are that this is the Predator version that the Thomas Brothers will get back in copyright reclaiming.

    TINY, LITTLE AS IN INSIGNIFICANT:
    At first glance we may be taking the "tiny" and "little" in the "tiny, frail little creature" too literally, or dramatically. And "tiny" could also mean "insignificant" or a variation of that. Stout could simply mean the very creature we read in the earliest draft we possess:

    Quote"The Hunter slowly rolls onto his back, revealing his face. The netted hood of the Hunter's bio-energetic suit, the source of his camouflage protection, is drawn back, exposing a strikingly human-like face. Beneath the smooth, hairless, nearly translucent skin, a delicate network of veins and vessels can be seen, pulsing rapidly with pale green blood. The Hunter's eyes, pink and weak-looking, like an albino, blink, trying to focus in the bright sunlight."

    *Edit - Added Little
    Reply
  15. SiL
    Posted
    I don't think the very original script is online. The earliest draft you guys have still has the Hunter being a human like figure under the suit. Maybe that's what he meant?
    Reply
  17. SiL
    Posted
    All I can picture is the little alien in Men in Black :laugh:

    I agree with Stout, it is a great allegory. But then so is having all of the technology and muscle of both combatants be ultimately overcome by wit and ingenuity. I thin think we got the better one in the final film.
    Reply
  19. Gilfryd
    Posted
    Huh.

    QuoteHow I Screwed Up the Great Original Ending to Predator

    At our second meeting, I cheerfully congratulated director John McTiernan on his current film project (Hunter, later renamed Predator).

    "This is going to be amazing. You're going to attract two different audiences to this film."

    John looked confused.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "You'll get your action/adventure crowd, of course — but with that ending, you'll attract a different audience as well. At the end, after Arnold Schwarzenegger has killed the Hunter, he looks down at the carcass of the creature. He notices something odd. He looks closer; then closer still. He reaches down to the carcass and opens it up. Inside all of this scary alien armor is a tiny, frail little creature. What a terrific commentary on Man as Hunter. He has to gird himself up with all this technology to hunt other creatures."

    McTiernan thought about what I had just said. He opened his script and re-read the ending. Then, right in front of me, he tore those pages out of the script.

    "John! What are you doing?!"

    "We can't have that ending," he replied. "That would mean that Arnold beat up a wimp!"
    https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/
    Reply
  20. Kradan
    Posted
    Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Sep 22, 2021, 04:01:56 PM
    Quote from: Wysps on Sep 22, 2021, 02:58:19 PM
    Quote from: Gilfryd on Sep 22, 2021, 11:29:01 AM
    More...

    https://i0.wp.com/www.williamstout.com/news/journal/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PredatorBust.jpg?w=387&ssl=1
    https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/

    The glowing bubbles behind its sternum, I imagine that was supposed to be something related to the physiology of its heart?  It's pretty neat, almost like its chest cavity is filled with a fluid of some kind.

    Yeah, this design I actually find somewhat appealing.

    The sternum throws me off though. I keep seeing the silhouette of someone standing there worshipping the Predator.  :laugh:

    Yep, same
    Reply
  22. Voodoo Magic
    Posted
    Quote from: Wysps on Sep 22, 2021, 04:16:48 PM
    Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Sep 22, 2021, 04:01:56 PM
    Quote from: Wysps on Sep 22, 2021, 02:58:19 PM
    Quote from: Gilfryd on Sep 22, 2021, 11:29:01 AM
    More...

    https://i0.wp.com/www.williamstout.com/news/journal/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PredatorBust.jpg?w=387&ssl=1
    https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/

    The glowing bubbles behind its sternum, I imagine that was supposed to be something related to the physiology of its heart?  It's pretty neat, almost like its chest cavity is filled with a fluid of some kind.

    Yeah, this design I actually find somewhat appealing.

    The sternum throws me off though. I keep seeing the silhouette of someone standing there worshipping the Predator.  :laugh:

    I totally see that too!!  It's not just you, Voodoo, promise  :laugh:

    Glad it's not just me.  :D
    Reply
  23. Wysps
    Posted
    Quote from: Voodoo Magic on Sep 22, 2021, 04:01:56 PM
    Quote from: Wysps on Sep 22, 2021, 02:58:19 PM
    Quote from: Gilfryd on Sep 22, 2021, 11:29:01 AM
    More...

    https://i0.wp.com/www.williamstout.com/news/journal/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PredatorBust.jpg?w=387&ssl=1
    https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/

    The glowing bubbles behind its sternum, I imagine that was supposed to be something related to the physiology of its heart?  It's pretty neat, almost like its chest cavity is filled with a fluid of some kind.

    Yeah, this design I actually find somewhat appealing.

    The sternum throws me off though. I keep seeing the silhouette of someone standing there worshipping the Predator.  :laugh:

    I totally see that too!!  It's not just you, Voodoo, promise  :laugh:
    Reply
  24. Voodoo Magic
    Posted
    Quote from: Wysps on Sep 22, 2021, 02:58:19 PM
    Quote from: Gilfryd on Sep 22, 2021, 11:29:01 AM
    More...

    https://i0.wp.com/www.williamstout.com/news/journal/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PredatorBust.jpg?w=387&ssl=1
    https://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/

    The glowing bubbles behind its sternum, I imagine that was supposed to be something related to the physiology of its heart?  It's pretty neat, almost like its chest cavity is filled with a fluid of some kind.

    Yeah, this design I actually find somewhat appealing.

    The sternum throws me off though. I keep seeing the silhouette of someone standing there worshipping the Predator.  :laugh:
    Reply
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