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The Predator brings the one ugly motherf*cker back to the big screen in 2018 after an eight-year absence. Written and directed by Shane Black, who starred in the original Predator, the film aims to update the fearsome Yautja with a darker tale and star-studded cast. We’ve collected everything you need to know about The Predator, from it’s long-gestating story to the recent third-act changing reshoots, as well as when you can expect the first trailer.
Release Date: September 14, 2018Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Jacob Tremblay, Thomas JaneDirector: Shane BlackWriters: Fred Dekker, Shane Black
Last updated: July 19, 2018
The Predator Has An Impressive Cast
The Predator has put together a strong ensemble cast, with Boyd Holbrook (Logan) playing lead character Quinn McKenna, a special forces commando; James Franco, Benicio del Toro and Conor McGregor were previously offered the role.
McKenna teams up with a group of war vets to take on the alien hunters, which includes actors Keegan-Michael Key, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane and Trevante Rhodes.
Jacob Tremblay (Room) playa McKenna’s autistic son, Rory, while Yvonne Strahovski plays Quinn’s ex-wife Emma. Sterling K. Brown plays a government agent who enlists Quinn’s help in the fight against the Predators, and Edward James Olmos plays a general. Jake Busey will also play the son of Peter Keyes, a shady government agent played by his father Gary in Predator 2.
Read More: Conor McGregor Was Offered A Lead Role In The Predator
The Predator’s Director Already Has Links To The Series
The Predator is directed by Shane Black, who in recent years has established himself as a major Hollywood filmmaker. He previously helmed The Nice Guys and Iron Man 3, which in spite of its controversial Mandarin twist, would go on to make over $1.2 billion worldwide. Black is no stranger to the Predator series either; he previously played Hawkins in the 1987 original, who is the first on-screen victim of the hunter.
Read More: Shane Black’s Predator Death Explained
The Predator Writers Have Worked Together Before
In addition to directing, Black also co-wrote the screenplay. Black is a veteran screenwriter, becoming famous at a young age for his Lethal Weapon script. During the 1990’s he became one of the highest paid writers in Hollywood thanks to his scripts for The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Co-writer Fred Dekker is best known for writing and directing Night Of The Creeps, The Monster Squad and RoboCop 3. Black & Dekker co-wrote The Monster Squad together, in addition to The Predator and a TV reboot of 1960’s spy show The Avengers.
Read More: Shane Black Has Written 1960s Avengers TV Show Reboot
The Predator’s Story
The studio has released a full synopsis for The Predator:
“From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black’s explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.”
The movie will take place in the suburbs, and at some point, McKenna witnesses a Predator UFO. He’s arrested by the government, dismissed as crazy and thrown on a bus with hospitalized war veterans. The government agents then try to have Quinn killed, but they’re overpowered by the vets, who team up with Quinn to hunt the aliens.
Quinn’s son Rory is also a savant with languages, and during the story will be called upon to communicate with the aliens. Fred Dekker and Jake Busey have also indicated the movie will reveal the true reasons the Predators keep coming to Earth.
Read More: The Predator: Thomas Jane Reveals Backstory Details
How The Predator Fits Into The Franchise
Conflicting early reports from cast and crew made it difficult to say if The Predator was a straight-ahead reboot or not. We now know that there will be some connections to the franchise’s past, such as Jake Busey, who’s playing the son of real-life rather Gary from Predator 2, suggesting plot ties to that entry. Arnold Schwarzenegger was also offered a cameo as Dutch but turned it down due to the size of the role.
The Predator’s reshoots also added some additional canon links, including possible connections to Alien vs Predator, which is a bit of a surprise since that’s traditionally been considered outside the rest of Predator continuity.
Read More: The Predator Is In The Original Canon – Here’s How
There Are Multiple Predator Trailers Out
Despite initial filming having wrapped in June 2017, it took almost a year for us to get our first look at The Predator. Footage debuted at CinemaCon in April, and released online in May. It confirmed a lot of previous plot rumors, although didn’t give much of a sense of what the new Predator would bring.
While the first trailer lacked the suspense the franchise is known for, while also not bearing the charm of Shane Black’s other films, the official full trailer gave a much better look. While it didn’t alleviate all fan concerns, it was a step in the right direction, and revealed a new evolution of the Predator.
Read More: The Predator Official Trailer & Poster: The Hunt Has Evolved
The Predator Has A “Striking” Poster
A teaser poster for The Predator arrived in October 2017, depicting lightning strikes over a city that forms the silhouette of the titular alien. The poster is reminiscent of the type of poster artwork that might have appeared in the 1980’s, especially – and probably coincidentally – Poltergeist III.
Read More: Lightning Strikes In New Predator Motion PosterThe Predator Has Been Delayed Numerous Times
The Predator has been long awaited in more ways than one. The studio initially set the release date for March 2, 2018, only to push the date forward to February 9 instead. The movie was then delayed while the film was shooting, setting a new date for August 3. Yet another delay was announced recently to make room for additional photography, and The Predator will now (hopefully) land September 14, 2018.
Read More: The Predator Gets New Release DateThe Predator Underwent Reshoots In March 2018
Various actors involved with The Predator have stated The Predator would be funnier than past instalments, but it seems this may have worked against it in test screenings. Reports suggest audiences were confused by the humorous tone, which led to the studio requesting additional photography to make the movie feel more serious. It’s since been revealed Keegan-Michael Key that most of the third act was changed. These reshoots were carried out in March 2018 in Canada and led to another release delay.
Read More: Predator Reshoots Changed Much of the Third ActThe Predator Will Be Post-Converted To 3D
Co-writer Fred Dekker took to his Facebook page in March to confirm the film was shooting additional photography and also revealed The Predator was being post-converted to 3D. This seems like an unusual move for a movie that wasn’t shot with 3D in mind, but perhaps the studio felt the movie was a good candidate for post-conversation based on the footage they were seeing.
Read More: The Predator Will Be Released In 3D
More The Predator News
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Read more: screenrant.com
