PREDATORS (TBA) - PREVIEW

Predators (TBA)

Starring: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Louiz Ozawa
Director: Nimrod Antal
U.S. Opening Date: July 9, 2010

Robert Rodriguez has confirmed during a press conference that “a sci-fi action film called Nerverackers, a re-boot of the Predator series called Predators, and a couple of smaller movies called Sin City 2 and The Jetsons” will be his next projects as both director and producer. (This probably means that the planned Barbarella remake, which was to have starred his wife Rose McGowan, is off then.)

“With a wink at James Cameron's Aliens, I baptized it Predators,” he told Fantastique magazine. “I wanted it to be the equivalent, in the Predator saga, of Cameron's movie. The very first Predator is a action/sci-fi masterpiece, which was often copied by other movies and by videogames. In my first treatment I wanted to expand the universe of the Predators and the creatures they mix with by introducing other extraterrestrial characters.”

According to Fantastique magazine, Alex Litvak (Medieval) will do scripting duties and the plot will involve a group of commandos opposing an army of Predators. Contrary to initial announcements, Rodriguez will only produce the film and not direct it. Instead it will be directed by Nimrod Antal who directed the 2007 horror flick Vacancy.

The original ‘Eighties action / sci-fi film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as a commando who rescues hostages from some baddies in the South American jungle. On their way back however they are tracked and hunted down by a vicious alien that hunts humans for sport. A sequel was made in 1990 (without Arnie) and two crossover films followed in 2004 (Alien vs. Predator) and in 2007 (Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem).

Several Predator scripts have floated around throughout the years, only one of which was attached to Rodriguez’s name. In this script a so-called predator hunted down crewmen on a 17th century sailing ship who has to fight back with inferior weaponry. Think Alien meets Pirates of the Caribbean! This script was titled Predators but was rejected because it was deemed too expensive. Other scripts involved Arnie’s character – but it is extremely unlikely that the Governator will return give up his political career for the big screen anytime soon.

While the Predator franchise has been kept alive in computer games and comics throughout the years, the truth is that the various movies have been getting cheaper and lousier with each instalment until the nadir that was Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, which was a by-the-numbers cheapo effort set on Earth directed by two music video directors.

Robert Rodriguez of course has a more illustrious portfolio having directed the likes of Sin City, Planet Terror, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty and so on. One can only imagine any Predator movie by this director to be an ultraviolent, over-the-top gory affair, probably exactly what fans of the franchise will be expecting . . .

PRODUCTION UPDATE: Predators will be set on Predator home planet. Shooting starts September, 28th.

PRODUCTION UPDATE (28 Sept 2009): Danny Trejo to star in Predators?

PRODUCTION UPDATE (29 Sept 2009): Schwarzenegger cameo for Predators?

PRODUCTION UPDATE (7 Oct 2009): Adrien Brody joins Predators cast.