The Predator is a sequel to the 1987 film, Predator, which starred the Austrian action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. It can be argued that the Predator and the Alien films have revolutionised the term Sci-Fi action and have paved the way for more films to try and emulate their success. The film is directed by Shane Black, who actually acted in the original and he had a strong part in it too. However, since 1987 he has made a name for himself as a highly rated director with films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and last year’s critical hit The Nice Guys.
Although the story is being kept under wraps for now, the film is said tie in with all three Predator films that have preceded it. After the huge commercial success of Iron Man 3, 20th Century Fox were keen to hire Shane Black and give him a substantial budget to make this film. Hopefully they’ve learned some lessons from the Alien vs Predator franchise they tried to create and give us a better-scripted film. 2010’s Predators was a step in the right direction, so let’s hope Shane Black’s dark sense of humour, infused with his well-crafted action sequences, can translate well into the Predator franchise.
The film stars Boyd Holbrook, who is fresh from playing the villain in the best Wolverine film out there, Logan. Benicio Del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) was originally going to star in The Predator, which would have been very exciting, but unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts he had to drop out.
Release Date
The Predator is set to be released in the UK on the 10th of August and currently doesn’t face any competition from the other big studios. The only other film currently slated to release on that day in the UK is Amusement Park, a new animated film that stars Mila Kunis. However, 20th Century Fox can rest easy knowing their demographic for the 18 Rated Predator film won’t be affected by the kid friendly animation.
Story
The official synopsis is still yet to be released, however, some photos have emerged online showing our main characters in army type attire and wielding plenty of guns. Shane Black has already said it’s going to be a sequel to the first two Predator films which could imply he’s planning on keeping the film set on Earth, unlike Predators which had the characters transported to an alien planet.
Cast
Starring alongside Boyd Holbrook is Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse) who’s starting to make a dent into Hollywood with a flurry of top productions. Alfie Allen, who can be seen at the moment in the latest series of Game of Thrones has also been cast, along with Keegan-Michael Key. Key is usually known more for his comedy roles, which could mean he’s going to be the joker in the film and someone to bring to life Shane Black’s dark humoured script. Other notable actors in the cast include Yvonne Strahovski, Thomas Jane, Jacob Tremblay and Edward James Olmos.
Production
Shane Black is directing The Predator from a script he wrote with Fred Dekker, and he has also entrusted Larry Fong as his director of photography. Fong was the cinematographer on Batman vs Superman and Watchmen, and despite their critics, the majority of people concluded those films were shot exquisitely. Producing the film are Blondel Aidoo, John Davis, Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver.
First Impressions
We’re still eagerly awaiting a first trailer for The Predator, but with Shane Black at the helm and the diverse cast included it has real potential to possibly be the best Predator film ever released. If the director can find a balance of storytelling and action sequences, we could be in store for the dark horse of the summer blockbuster season in 2018.
It’s going to be 18 rated, and after the success of Deadpool that seems to be all the rage now. If there’s not gore and horror in a Predator film, then would it even be worth it? No, is the answer, in case you were wondering!
