News

Interview: Shane Black on the Making of ‘The Predator’

Published

6 years ago

September 4, 2018

DG: What inspired you to want to revisit the Predator film series, as a director?

SB: I feel old. I’m fifty-six years old, and I didn’t see the time pass. It seems like yesterday I was back in the 1980s. I was a student at UCLA, and then there was Lethal Weapon, and The Monster Squad, and Predator. That was over thirty years ago. What the hell happened? I was talking to Fred Dekker about this, and I suggested that we should go back in time with this film. Let’s pretend that we’re making this film thirty years ago. Let’s make a 1980s war film that combines action, horror, science fiction. There’s no CGI. Then we’ll add in the digital effects, the FX shots, later. That was my vision for this film.

DG: What is the proximity, the relationship, between this film and the previous films?

SB: The second film happened. The Alien vs. Predator films happened. In this film, we see that Earth has noticed that all of these things have happened. The predators have been showing up on Earth for a long time, possibly since ancient times, so how does Earth respond to this in 2020? How do we prepare for the next alien incursion? An intelligence division has been established for the purpose of confronting the alien threat but also for the purpose of exploring the technological opportunities. Although the predators are hunters, killers, their technology suggests that the predator planet consists of scientists and warriors. We don’t have interstellar spaceships, obviously, so maybe the predators have some kind of think tank on their planet.

DG: How many Predator hunters are featured in this film, and how have the Predator creatures evolved since we last saw them?

SB: There are two predator creatures in the film. The predators that appear in this film are always deadly, and they’re really fast, and they’re always moving. There’s a rogue faction within the predator race, and some of the predators are really angry about what’s happened to them in the previous films. They’re angry because their warriors have, time and time again, been defeated by Earth’s greatest champions, beginning with Arnold’s character. They’re not happy about that, and they want to punch back.

DG: The Predator features an ensemble cast, which includes Boyd Holbrook and Jacob Tremblay. How would you describe the human dynamic that exists in the film?

SB: Every character in the film is a misfit. Quinn [Holbrook’s character] and his men are marginalized soldiers, post-traumatic stress disorder cases, who have been written off by society. This isn’t the crack team of commandos from the first film. As the film opens, Quinn’s life is in a holding pattern, and he’s trying to maintain a connection with his son, who exists within the autism spectrum. There’s a science teacher, played by Olivia Munn, and she’s also a misfit. All of the characters in the film are unsure of themselves.

DG: What was the biggest challenge that you faced during the filming?

SB: The challenge was to visualize parts of the film without being able to really visualize them. I’m talking, of course, about filming around the digital effects and imagining what’s happening in a scene while you’re filming against a green screen. I didn’t want this film to be a CG-fest. I had to wait for the FX shots to arrive and see if they matched what I’d been visualizing. They did. It worked.

DG: When this project was announced, speculation quickly grew about the possibility of Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his character from the first film in this film. Did you talk to Arnold about this?

SB: Where is Arnold? It’s not a silly question, and I understand why people would wonder about Arnold’s character and whether Arnold could play a role in the film. I did speak to Arnold, and we toyed with the idea of Arnold appearing in the film. It would have been a cameo role for him, and that wasn’t something he was interested in, so we wished each other good luck, and then we said goodbye.

DG: Are you planning to do more Predator films?

SB: I am open to doing more films, but I would never make an announcement like that until I saw how this film has been received. That would be like having the wrap party on the first day of filming.

The Predator opens in theaters on September 14. Watch the final trailer here.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

15 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Movies

‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

17 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

^{Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott}

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

_{Great Movie Ride}

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

_{Alien Romulus}

^{Alien (1979)}

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

News

Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

18 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.