Shane Black Talks The Predator Costume Design!

[Corporal Hicks]

Shane Black talks about The Predator costume design in a new article from SuperHeroHype! With Shane Black still doing the press rounds for The Nice Guys (trailer here), we find more details about his next project, The Predator (aka Predator 4) coming out as he inevitably fields questions regarding The Predator during press junkets. In this latest update from SuperHeroHype, Black talks about The Predator costume design:

"It's not to 'improve,' it's make it fun, make it different, make it organically different. So what's the extension of it that makes sense, that's exciting? There have been a lot of changes to Stan's design over the years. These different Predator movies have done different things. Ultimately it's not about design to me, it's about the story you want to tell. There are people who are always going to agonize over Iron Man, what color his suit is. Maybe this weapon does a new thing, but if the story is not good I don't give a sh*t what color the suit is. In 'The Predator' we're doing a lot of upgrades to what you would consider to be the traditional Predator technology and look, but hopefully the story is what's going to drag people in, not just the attention to the minutiae."

So it sounds as if we’ll be seeing a new approach this time around! One of Alien vs. Predator Galaxy’s own will be in attendance at a showing of The Nice Guys with a Q&A with Shane Black where we plan on following up on this with a question about which effects house Shane Black intends to use to design and construct The Predator costume design this time around.

While promoting The Nice Guys, Shane Black has talked about The Predator costume design. Picture is Predators concept art by Joseph C. Pepe.

At the same junket that SuperHeroHype attended, JoBlo was also in attendance and though they didn’t get anything new from Shane Black, they did confirm the recent news regarding when The Predator would shoot and Black talks a little about his mentality in trying to give The Predator back that same feeling of “wonderment, mystery and adventure” that the first Predator had:

“I was reluctant to. If you look at the opening of the first Predator, with the helicopters coming in and landing with the smoke and the native people… It was so compelling because it established a world in which this is still mysterious for you. It’s not a sci-fi world. It was so fresh back then, like a “why didn’t I think of that, what the f**k?” quality to it. I’d like to get back to a movie where it’s three months out and people are like, “Let’s get our tickets now because we’re aware of this, it seems like they put the money and attention into it, it’s not just a knock-off.” Really try to get back to that feeling of wonderment, mystery and adventure. A fresh movie. Without giving away details, that’s been our goal. To say, “What’s the John McTiernan and Joel Silver of this, and how do we get back to that?”

As Shane Black continues to promote The Nice Guys, we will probably hear more and more about The Predator. Stick with Alien vs. Predator Galaxy for the details! Thanks to Johnny Handsome and Kaiju Ninja for the news.

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[RakaiThwei]

Which one us will be going to the Nice Guys Q&A to be asking about the Predator? I'm... genuinely curious.

[Corporal Hicks]

HuDaFuk will be.

[RakaiThwei]

And from the reading of the article, it sounds like we're getting a Predator that's more in line with the first two films but with an upgraded set of armor and weapons? That sounds interesting.. comforting in some ways to say.

[Eren]

is funny what he said about the color of the armor and the story of the movie because Iron Man 3 is one of the worst superhero movies ever made but many people have a thing with all the armors from the movie. Maybe he thinks Im3 is a good movie

[blood.]

The predator to me always appeared cumbersome with bulky equipment strapped all over it, and especially clumsy in 'Predators'. The designs really have come from the 80's after all. I think that wolf seemed visually the most agile of any on screen appearance.

I hope the predator tech, weapons and armor will be more sleek and compact without sacrificing functionality... think og pred as a nokia and this pred as a smart phone... (strictly from a design standpoint)

But as Shane says, the story is more important. It's good to see a competent director ****ing this cat. Just from his comments I'm more and more optimistic about this movie.

[Corporal Hicks]

is funny what he said about the color of the armor and the story of the movie because Iron Man 3 is one of the worst superhero movies ever made but many people have a thing with all the armors from the movie. Maybe he thinks Im3 is a good movie

I think those that dislike Iron-Man 3 are just louder. There's near enough 80% from both critics and fans for IM3 on Rotten Tomatoes. It was better liked than people think.

The predator to me always appeared cumbersome with bulky equipment strapped all over it, and especially clumsy in 'Predators'. The designs really have come from the 80's after all. I think that wolf seemed visually the most agile of any on screen appearance.

Yeah, Wolf was the best the Predator has looked and moved since the originals. I hope whoever they get to do the creature effects really tries to emphasize what the original did well and I think Ian and AvPRs portrayal is a good place for them to look too!

But as Shane says, the story is more important. It's good to see a competent director ****ing this cat. Just from his comments I'm more and more optimistic about this movie.

Everything Shane Black says is filling with me with confidence at the minute.

[Robert]

Well, Having been involved with the design of the original Predator they could always go back to one of our early designs.

[Corporal Hicks]

Welcome to the site, Robert. Are there any particular old designs you think would be good to revisit?

[Russ]

... hopefully the story is what's going to drag people in, not just the attention to the minutiae.

Clearly, Shane Black has never stopped by this forum ...

[overthere]

As long as it's not so different it's unrecognizable.

[Predator_Spirit]

If they take a predator 2/AVPR approach we have a winner here
If they take the Predators/AVP2004 approach it's an instant boycott.

[overthere]

I hope by costume they mean the Predator's mask and weapons. For Christ's sake, don't change the look like Predators did. Nothing beats Stan's Predator.

[whiterabbit]

Ok... so the Predator's getting a 2010's upgrade. Well that can go either way but Shane Black is definitely putting his eggs into the story basket. Perhaps he's delegating the makeup and effects to the artistic licensing department. Well since Black is a professional writer with legitimate credentials; I'm giving him the whole benefit of doubt that he can pull it off.

Even if the Predator ends up in a yellow suit!

[Johnny Handsome]

Every movie had different Predators so far, and it's ok, every director wants to make his artistic stamp on things, why would/should this make an exception?

The character itself is so versatile, just look at the movies we had so far and all the fan variations. As far as designs go, you could make a 100 more movies and the character could still be different and interesting every single time.

I hope they go for an interesting, yet sleek/agile design, like they did in the originals. It's not so much the Predator themselfes that need to be changed, but i'm totally up for new weapon and armour styles.

The Predators at the end of the second movie are still the benchmark for me of how to get the character right, yet how to make every single one different and unique.