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

[BigDaddyJohn]

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

That gave us the hilarious close up of his "WTF??" face though 

[Kradan]

  Indeed

[Voodoo Magic]

Dafuq??! 

Solid interview. (Also glad to find out that Stephen's still working..)

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

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!

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.

[BlueMarsalis79]

Anyone suggested it's possibly a continent?

Perhaps the Predators come from a world with only one.

A reminder of home.

[Kradan]

It always looked like a map to me, yeah

[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.

[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.

[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...

[Voodoo Magic]

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!)

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!

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....

Hey Voodoo, I like the idea of the eye. That'd be a trip it worked with the navigation somehow.

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

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...

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!

[BlueMarsalis79]

On the navigation idea, the map idea, and with the pillars what if it's a bizarre kind of Orrery?

[Voodoo Magic]

That would be interesting! But what would those monoliths represent? Hmm..

[Voodoo Magic]

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!

[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!!

[Corporal Hicks]

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...

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.

Clears 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.

What'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!

Did 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:

I  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.

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! 

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...

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...

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.

[Voodoo Magic]

The score would have to be reworked too on the edit, so the ends might not justify the means. It may be too much for a culmination of 30-120 seconds of additional screen time.