Predators Wanted to Kick Off New Trilogy with Schwarzenegger Return & Visit to Predator Planet

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In the summer of 2010, Fox tried to refresh the famous Predator series with the fittingly named “Predators” (now available on Peacock). Similar in style to the 1987 original, the 2010 film directed by Nimród Antal brought a significant change to the familiar plotline.

Instead of Earth being invaded by Predators for hunting humans, it’s the humans who are transported directly to the Predator’s realm. A group of dangerous characters, such as an award-winning black ops mercenary (Adrian Brody), a Yakuza member (Louis Ozawa), a death row convict (Walton Goggins), and a confirmed serial killer (Topher Grace), are suddenly snatched away without ceremony and dumped in an isolated alien game reserve.

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Predators screenwriter Michael Finch on expanding the canon

In a conversation with SYFY Wire over Zoom, Michael Finch (co-writer of the movie alongside Alex Litvak, and more recently, co-writer of John Wick: Chapter 4 with Shay Hatten) explained that they aimed to shake things up a bit and broaden the scope of the story. He felt that the narrative had been stuck in a repetitive cycle, where aliens come to Earth, but not much new is learned about them. It was no longer about the plot or characters, but rather, a question of whether filmmakers could make the violence more graphic and intriguing. They wanted to deviate from this pattern and create something unique.

Finch and Litvak introduced a new element to the story as “an ongoing civil war among Super Predators and ordinary Predators,” according to Finch. Although they managed to hint at this plot point in the movie, financial constraints prevented the film’s production – which included Robert Rodriguez as producer – from fully realizing the script’s intended space-based climax with a “battle… or intense gunfight.” However, these challenges didn’t stop the authors, who revised the story substantially in just one day. They introduced Noland, a character portrayed by Lawrence Fishburne, who had survived on the reserve for years, eventually losing his mind in the process.

An additional dream that didn’t come to fruition involved Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to his character, Dutch, and launching a three-film series, ending with a journey to the homeworld of the Predators.

Predators writer details plans for unmade Predator franchise trilogy

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According to Finch, the team envisioned Schwarzenegger making a cameo in the style of the Marvel Cinematic Universe following Royce’s decapitation of the Super Predator during hand-to-hand combat. The scene would unfold as follows: A spaceship descends, releasing smoke and Predators emerging. In this situation, you are utterly doomed, with no chance to resist, no ammunition left, bleeding profusely, and only a stick at your disposal. As the smoke dissipates, one of them removes his helmet, revealing it’s Schwarzenegger. He is now part of their clan due to his victory over the Predator in the previous film, which made him extremely intriguing to these creatures. Consequently, he was captured and assimilated into their group.

Regrettably, when our legendary action hero was engrossed with his role as Governor of California, the project failed to pick up speed. However, Finch and Litvak had grand designs for the subsequent sequels. The second installment was set on a spaceship orbiting above the game reserve. “To break free,” Finch explains, “they must seize control of the ship.” This sequel would have been in space, exploring further aspects of the Predators and creating a clan structure. Although they might seem identical from an outsider’s perspective, their internal attitudes and cultures were remarkably distinct.

In the third installment, audiences would have been transported to the Predator’s home planet (a fleeting glance of which was seen three years ago in “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem”). As for its design, Finch explains, “We didn’t quite make it there, but we were envisioning a Roman-inspired setting with gladiatorial arenas, internal power struggles, clans on the outskirts, and more established groups within. Primarily, our aim was to depict a civilization in decay, teetering under its own burden. They had advanced so much… they’d conquered everything in a peculiar manner and were on the brink of collapse due to their own weight.

Additionally, it’s discovered that the so-called “Super Predators” were enhancing their genetic makeup by incorporating traits from the toughest species throughout the cosmos – a notion that would resurface about a decade later in Shane Black’s film, The Predator. Finch explains, “They select the fiercest adversaries they can find, and if they prove worthy, they absorb their DNA. They isolate what makes them dangerous and incorporate it into their own genes to upgrade themselves.” The underlying concept is that there’s been a significant advancement in Predator evolution due to scientific means, but such progress comes with potential drawbacks – a cautionary tale about the consequences of one’s desires.

Even though Predators earned the second highest revenue within the franchise at that time, Fox declined to produce a sequel due to its mixed critical reviews. Finch attributes this moderate reception partly to fans being disappointed by previous subpar sequels focusing on the franchise’s iconic hunter. As a result, they held a deep affection and respect for the 1987 original.

The screenwriter summarizes, stating that our film continued to operate within the old mindset of “Let’s keep things as they are – the same appearance, mood, and overall aesthetic.” I believe our movie didn’t resonate with audiences because it wasn’t a fresh take, and it followed some rather obvious money-making attempts on the part of previous sequels.

20th Century Studios (now under Disney’s ownership) demonstrated a shrewd approach with their film “Prey” in 2022, abandoning the traditional remake route and instead opting for something uniquely different. This decision to reimagine established titles rather than attempting to surpass the original was, in my opinion, brilliant. It also suggests a promising direction for properties that have been overused or exhausted. Instead of striving to create larger and larger films, they are scaling down in a way, which is smart on multiple levels – it’s cost-effective, innovative, distinctive, and not reliant on imitation. Where we were paying tribute to the original, Disney has successfully moved away from that approach.

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2025-01-13 22:31