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''Predator'' is an American
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel univers ...
action anthology
media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program ...
centered on the film series depicting humankind's encounters with an intelligent race of extraterrestrial trophy-seeking
hunters Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
known as the " Yautja". Produced and distributed by
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...
, the series began with ''
Predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill t ...
'' (1987), directed by
John McTiernan John Campbell McTiernan Jr. (born January 8, 1951) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his action films, especially ''Predator'' (1987), '' Die Hard'' (1988), and '' The Hunt for Red October'' (1990). His later well-known films in ...
, and was followed by three sequels, ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter ...
'' (1990), ''
Predators Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
'' (2010), '' The Predator'' (2018), and one prequel, ''
Prey Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (wh ...
'' (2022). The series has led to numerous
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
s,
comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
, and
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedback m ...
spin-offs Spin-off may refer to: * Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work * Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or g ...
such as '' Predator: Concrete Jungle'' (2005) and '' Predator: Hunting Grounds'' (2020). The '' Alien vs. Predator'' franchise combines the continuities and universe of the ''Alien'' franchise with the ''Predator'' franchise and consists of two films as well as varying series of comics, books, and video games.


Premise

The ''Predator'' franchise depicts a series of deadly encounters between humanity and a hostile, trophy hunting, extraterrestrial species known as the Yautja. Predominantly transpiring in the present day of the 20th and 21st century, the series comprises films that, while largely independent, portray human confrontations with Yautjas in different locations. Drawn by heat and conflict, the creatures have been travelling to Earth for centuries in order to hunt Humans; the planet's "
most dangerous game ''Most Dangerous Game'' is an American action series created by Nick Santora, Josh Harmon, and Scott Elder that debuted on Quibi on April 6, 2020. It is inspired by the 1924 short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. On May 20, 2 ...
." The Predators, while brutal and cruel by human standards, are disciplined warriors bound by strict codes of honor. They primarily target individuals who can theoretically fight back, such as soldiers, criminals and law enforcement. They will not harm unarmed civilians, pregnant women, children or those with a debilitating condition or illness. Unlike most movie monsters, such as the xenomorph from the Alien films or the Terminator, Yautja are capable of both mercy and reason, though they seldom show either during the course of the series. The Yautja race, or at least a faction within it, are also known to abduct humans, among other beings, and hunt them on planets which they maintain as game preserves.


Background

''Predator'' was
John McTiernan John Campbell McTiernan Jr. (born January 8, 1951) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his action films, especially ''Predator'' (1987), '' Die Hard'' (1988), and '' The Hunt for Red October'' (1990). His later well-known films in ...
's first studio film as director. The studio hired screenplay writer
Shane Black Shane Black (born December 16, 1961) is an American filmmaker and actor who has written such films as '' Lethal Weapon'', '' The Monster Squad'', '' The Last Boy Scout'', '' Last Action Hero'', and '' The Long Kiss Goodnight''. As an actor, Blac ...
to not only play a supporting role in the film, but to keep an eye on McTiernan due to the director's inexperience.
Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the ag ...
was originally cast as the film's creature, the idea being that the physical action star would use his martial arts skills to make the creature an agile,
ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 21� ...
-esque hunter. When compared to
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
,
Carl Weathers Carl Weathers (born January 14, 1948) is an American actor and former professional football player. He is known for his roles as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four ''Rocky'' films (1976–85), George Dillon in ''Predator'' (1987), Action Jack ...
, and
Jesse Ventura Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to ...
, actors known for their bodybuilding regimes, it became apparent a more physically imposing man was needed to make the creature appear threatening. Eventually, Van Damme was removed from the film and replaced by the actor and mime artist
Kevin Peter Hall Kevin Peter Hall (May 9, 1955 – April 10, 1991) was an American actor. Hall stood tall, and frequently played monster characters during his career. He was the original title character in the science fiction ''Predator'' franchise, appearing ...
. A Van Damme
easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tra ...
was eventually featured in ''The Predator''. The Yautja's design is credited to special effects artist
Stan Winston Stanley Winston (April 7, 1946 – June 15, 2008) was an American television and film special make-up effects creator, best known for his work in the ''Terminator'' series, the first three ''Jurassic Park'' films, '' Aliens'', '' The Thing'', ...
. While flying to Japan with '' Aliens'' director
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
, Winston, who had been hired to design the Predator, was doing concept art on the flight. Cameron saw what he was drawing and said, "I always wanted to see something with
mandibles In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...
", and Winston subsequently included them in his designs. Schwarzenegger recommended Winston after his experience working on ''
The Terminator ''The Terminator'' is a 1984 American science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whos ...
''. The film's creature was originally designed with a long neck, a dog-like head and a single eye. This design was abandoned when it became apparent that the jungle locations would make shooting the complex design too difficult. Originally, the studio contracted the makeup effects for the creature from
Richard Edlund Richard Edlund, (born December 6, 1940) is an American visual effects artist and inventor. He was a founding member of Industrial Light & Magic, having already founded Pignose amplifiers, and later co-founded Boss Film Studios and DuMonde VFX. ...
's ''Boss Film Creature Shop''. However, with problems filming the creature in Mexico and attempts to create a convincing monster of Van Damme, wearing a very different body suit, failing, makeup effects responsibilities were given to Winston and his studio, R/Greenberg Associates. According to former ''Boss Film Creature Shop'' makeup supervisor Steve Johnson, the makeup failed because of an impractical design by McTiernan that included extensions that gave the creature a backward bent
satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exa ...
-leg. The design did not work in the jungle locations. After six weeks of shooting in the jungles of
Palenque Palenque (; Yucatec Maya: ), also anciently known in the Itza Language as Lakamhaʼ ("Big Water or Big Waters"), was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that perished in the 8th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. 799 AD. A ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the production had to shut down so that Winston could make the new creature. This took eight months and then filming resumed for five weeks. The clicking sound of the creature was provided by
Peter Cullen Peter Claver Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the original 1980s ''Transformers'' animated series, reprising the role many times since 2007. He has also voiced many other ...
. Despite his resolution not to voice any more monsters following injuries to his throat sustained during the ADR of ''King Kong'', his agent convinced him to audition. The clicking sound was inspired by a mixture of the visual of the creature and his recollection of a dying horseshoe crab. R/Greenberg Associates created the film's optical effects, including the creature's ability to become
invisible Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light in ...
, its
thermal vision Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video and/or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared ...
point-of-view, its glowing blood, and the
electric spark An electric spark is an abrupt electrical discharge that occurs when a sufficiently high electric field creates an ionized, electrically conductive channel through a normally-insulating medium, often air or other gases or gas mixtures. Michael ...
effects. The invisibility effect was achieved by having someone in a bright
red suit In playing cards, a suit is one of the categories into which the cards of a deck are divided. Most often, each card bears one of several pips (symbols) showing to which suit it belongs; the suit may alternatively or additionally be indicated by ...
(because it was the farthest opposite of the green of the jungle and the blue of the sky) the size of the creature. The take was then repeated without the actors using a 30% wider lens on the camera. When the two takes were combined optically, a vague outline of the alien could be seen with the background scenery bending around its shape. For the thermal vision, infrared film could not be used because it did not register in the range of body temperature
wavelength In physics, the wavelength is the spatial period of a periodic wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats. It is the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase on the wave, such as two adjacent crests, tro ...
s. The glowing blood was achieved by green liquid from chem-lite sticks used by campers. The electrical sparks were
rotoscoped Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action. Originally, animators projected photographed live-action movie images onto a glass panel and traced o ...
animation using white paper pin registered on portable light tables to black-and-white prints of the film frames. The drawings were composited by the optical crew for the finished effects. Also, in an interview on ''Predator'' Special Edition, actor Carl Weathers said many of the actors would secretly wake up as early as 3 a.m. to work out before the day's shooting, in order to look "pumped" during the scene. Weathers also stated that he would act as if his physique was naturally given to him, and would work out only after all the other actors were nowhere to be seen. It was reported that actor
Sonny Landham William M. "Sonny" Landham III (February 11, 1941 – August 17, 2017) was an American actor and stunt performer. He portrayed Billy Bear in '' 48 Hrs.'' and tracker Billy Sole in ''Predator''. Early life and education Landham was born February ...
was so unstable on the set that a bodyguard was hired; not to protect Landham, but to protect the other cast members from him. According to Schwarzenegger, filming was physically demanding as he had to swim in very cold water and spent three weeks covered in mud for the climactic battle with the monster. In addition, cast and crew endured very cold temperatures in the Mexican jungle that required
heat lamp Infrared lamps are electrical devices which emit infrared radiation. Infrared lamps are commonly used in radiant heating for industrial processes and building heating. Infrared LEDs are used for communication over optical fibers and in remote ...
s to be on all of the time. Schwarzenegger also faced the challenge of working with Kevin Peter Hall who could not see in the creature's suit. Hall could not see out of the mask and had to rehearse his scenes with it off and then memorize where everything was. The film was particularly successful and subsequently inspired a number of
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...
s,
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedback m ...
s and popular
anecdote An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Occasionally humorous ...
s within the media. Schwarzenegger was asked to reprise his role in a ''Predator'' sequel, but was already attached to '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' and could not accept the role. The character was rewritten from the developing sequel's script, and the sequel to ''Predator'', directed by Stephen Hopkins, was scheduled for 1990. Due to excessive violence and nudity scenes, ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter ...
'' was the first film to be given the newly instituted
NC-17 The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
rating in the United States. It was eventually rated R by the
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distrib ...
after being re-cut to its final theatrical length. The film cast
Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the '' Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films inclu ...
in the lead role, and reprised Kevin Peter Hall as the Predator. Also, returning to the role of Anna in the sequel,
Elpidia Carrillo Elpidia Carrillo (born August 16, 1961) is a Mexican actress and director. Her career includes roles in both Latin American and US film and television. She is best known in the United States for her supporting role in the iconic action film ''Pre ...
was slated to be in two scenes but was cut back to a brief appearance on a video screen in the government agents' surveillance trailer. Her character is showing damage to the
Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. C ...
n jungle caused by the explosion at the conclusion of the first film.


Films

A
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...
of the series is that they each have a running time of exactly 107 minutes. This tradition was broken with the fifth film (and first non-theatrical release) in the series, ''Prey''.


''Predator'' (1987)

An elite paramilitary rescue team, led by Major Dutch is on a covert operation in a Central American jungle where they are tasked with rescuing an official and his aide from guerrillas when they encounter a highly dangerous alien creature with futuristic technology who hunts them for sport and are forced to find a way to defeat it before it kills off the entire team while awaiting a helicopter rescue.


''Predator 2'' (1990)

In the record-hot summer of 1997, a different Predator arrives in Los Angeles and hunts violent gang members, drawing the attention of the local police force, specifically Lieutenant Harrigan, who pursues the creature as it rampages throughout the city. The creature itself is in turn being hunted by the secretive government task-force OWLF, led by CIA agent Peter Keyes, which wishes to capture it for study.


''Predators'' (2010)

A group of notorious mercenaries and murderers find themselves kidnapped and transported to an alien game preserve jungle planet, where they have to learn to work together in order to fight off a band of Super Predators and other alien creatures stalking them and find a way off this world.


''The Predator'' (2018)

Following the crash of a Predator spaceship on Earth, U.S. Army Ranger Quinn McKenna and a team of PTSD-afflicted soldiers must band together to take down a pair of Predators, including a new genetically enhanced Predator, and prevent an invasion of the planet.


''Prey'' (2022)

With the sale of 21st Century Fox's assets to
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, the future of the series was called into question, though Bob Iger confirmed that certain properties would remain R-rated. In December 2019,
Dan Trachtenberg Dan Trachtenberg (born May 11, 1981) is an American filmmaker and podcast host.Rachel Kurland, Scare Tactics Pay off for Cheltenham’s Dan Trachtenberg'. The Jewish Exponent. March 14, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2017. He is best known for direct ...
was announced to be developing a film under the working title of ''Skulls'', with a script from Patrick Aison, set during the American Civil War. In November 2020, it was revealed that the project was actually a fifth film in the ''Predator'' franchise. Trachtenberg indicated that he had been working on the film since 2016, with the intention to market the project without any references to ''Predator''. The Walt Disney Company produced the project through their
20th Century Studios 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...
banner. In May 2021, Amber Midthunder was announced to star. In late July, the title was shortened to ''Skull'' before officially becoming ''Prey'' in November; it was released on
Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television series ...
on August 5, 2022. Naru, a skilled Comanche warrior, is striving to prove herself as a hunter, and finds herself having to protect her people from a Predator as well as from French fur traders who are destroying the Buffalo her people rely on for survival.


Future

In June 2022, Dan Trachtenberg stated that there are discussions for additional installments being developed after the release of ''Prey''. The filmmaker stated that moving forward, the intent is to do things that have not been done before in the franchise. In August, Bennett Taylor expressed interest in reprising his role as Raphael Adolini as "the
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
he is" in a potential
prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...
to ''Prey'', serving as a loose adaptation of the 1996 comic book '' Predator: 1718'' in which Adolini was introduced, reading it as research before shooting ''Prey'', having aimed to "bring as much of aphaelinto ''Prey'' that made sense".


Crossover series

Inspired by the
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
series, the filmmakers of ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter ...
'' (1990) incorporated an
easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tra ...
in which an Alien skull was seen in a Predator trophy case. Expansions upon this
shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
between the '' Alien'' and ''Predator'' franchises followed through comics and video games, leading up to the launch of a film franchise with the release of '' Alien vs. Predator'' in 2004, followed by '' Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' in 2007. The franchise has spawned various comics, novels, video games, and other merchandise based upon or inspired by the films. A third film has been variously rumored since the production of ''Requiem''. In mid-2018,
Shane Black Shane Black (born December 16, 1961) is an American filmmaker and actor who has written such films as '' Lethal Weapon'', '' The Monster Squad'', '' The Last Boy Scout'', '' Last Action Hero'', and '' The Long Kiss Goodnight''. As an actor, Blac ...
, the director of '' The Predator'', expressed his belief that a third ''Alien vs. Predator'' could still happen, indicating the studio's interest in both franchises.


''Alien vs. Predator'' (2004)

In 2004, a Predator mothership arrives in
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surface ...
orbit to draw humans to an ancient Predator training ground on Bouvetøya, an island about one thousand miles north of
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
. A buried pyramid giving off a "heat bloom" attracts a group of explorers led by billionaire and self-taught engineer Charles Bishop Weyland (
Lance Henriksen Lance Henriksen (born May 5, 1940) is an American actor. He is known for his works in various science fiction, action and horror films, such as that of Bishop in the ''Alien'' film franchise, and Frank Black in Fox television series ''Millennium ...
), the original founder and CEO of Weyland Industries, who unknowingly activates an Alien egg production line as a hibernating Alien Queen is awakened within the pyramid. Three Predators descend to the planet and enter the structure, killing all humans in their way with the intention of hunting the newly formed Aliens, while the scattered explorers are captured alive by Aliens and implanted with embryos. Two Predators die in the ensuing battle with an Alien, while the third allies itself with the lone surviving human, Alexa "Lex" Woods (
Sanaa Lathan Sanaa McCoy Lathan (born September 19, 1971) is an American actress. She is the daughter of actress Eleanor McCoy and film director Stan Lathan. Her career began after she appeared in the shows ''In the House'', ''Family Matters'', ''NYPD Blue ...
), while making their way out of the pyramid as it is destroyed by the Predator's wrist bomb and eventually does battle with the escaped Alien Queen on the surface. The Queen is defeated by being dragged down by a water tower into the dark depths of the frozen sea, but not before she fatally wounds the last Predator. The orbiting Predator mothership uncloaks and the crew retrieves the fallen Predator. A Predator elder gives Lex a spear as a sign of respect, and then departs. Once in orbit it is revealed that an Alien Chestburster was present within the corpse, thus a predator/alien hybrid is born.


''Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem'' (2007)

Set immediately after the events of the previous film, the Predalien hybrid aboard the Predator scout ship, having just separated from the mothership shown in the previous film, has grown to full adult size and sets about killing the Predators aboard the ship, causing it to crash in the small town of
Gunnison, Colorado Gunnison is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gunnison County, Colorado. The city population was 6,560 at the 2020 United States Census. Gunnison was named in honor of John W. Gunnison, a Un ...
. The last surviving Predator activates a distress beacon containing a video recording of the Predalien, which is received by a
veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that ha ...
Predator on the Predator homeworld, who sets off towards Earth to "clean up" the infestation. When it arrives, the Predator tracks the Aliens into a section of the sewer below the town. He removes evidence of their presence as he moves along using a corrosive blue liquid and uses a laser net to try to contain the creatures, but the Aliens still manage to escape into the town above. The Predator fashions a plasma pistol from its remaining plasma caster and hunts Aliens all across town, accidentally cutting the power to the town in the process. During a confrontation with human survivors, the Predator loses its plasma pistol. The Predator then fights the Predalien singlehandedly, and the two mortally wound one another just as the US air force drops a tactical nuclear bomb on the town, incinerating both combatants along with the Predalien's warriors and hive, as well as the few remaining humans in the town. The salvaged plasma pistol is then taken to a Ms. Yutani of the Yutani Corporation, foreshadowing an advancement in technology leading to the future events of the ''Alien'' films.


Short films

On October 19, 2010, ''Predators'' was released on home video and included the two prequel short films ''Moments of Extraction'' and ''Crucified'', along with the prequel short film ''The Chosen'', which had aired as a television and cinema advertisement prior to the release of ''Predators''. Loot Crate (commonly known for producing and distributing various officially licensed merchandise based on the ''Alien'', ''Predator'', ''Alien vs. Predator'', and ''Prometheus'' brands) released a VR 360° short film titled ''Predator vs. Colonial Marines'' in February 2016, directed by Julian Higgins and written by Peter Weidman in which a troop of Colonial Marines storm a Weyland-Yutani warehouse and encounter the deadly alien hunter. ''The Predator'' was released on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
,
Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of stori ...
and 4K Ultra HD formats on December 18, 2018, in America, alongside the short film ''The Predator Holiday Special'', in which
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
and his elves and reindeer encounter the Predators at the North Pole.


Cast and crew


Principal cast


Additional crew


Reception


Box office performance

;List indicator : indicates figures based on available information. Note that the figures in this table are not inflation adjusted


Critical and public response


Music


Home media


Other media


Novels

Several novelizations based upon the movies have been released.


Movie novelizations

* ''Predator'' by
Paul Monette Paul Landry Monette (October 16, 1945 – February 10, 1995) was an American author, poet, and activist best known for his books about gay relationships. Early life and career Monette was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and graduated from Phill ...
, Jove Books, June 1, 1987, * ''Predator 2'' by
Simon Hawke Simon Hawke (born September 30, 1951) is an American author of mainly science fiction and fantasy novels. He was born Nicholas Valentin Yermakov, but began writing as Simon Hawke in 1984 and later changed his legal name to Hawke. He has also writt ...
, Jove Books, December 1990, * ''The Predator: Hunters and Hunted'' by James A. Moore, Titan Books, July 31, 2018 * ''The Predator'' by Christopher Golden & Mark Morris, Titan Books, September 2018,


Original novels

* ''Predator: Concrete Jungle'' by Nathan Archer * ''Predator: Cold War'' by Nathan Archer * ''Predator: Big Game'' by Sandy Schofield * ''Predator: Forever Midnight'' by
John Shirley John Shirley (born February 10, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of fantasy, science fiction, dark street fiction, westerns, and songwriting. He has also written one historical novel, a western about Wyatt Earp, ''Wyatt in Wichita'', and ...
* ''Predator: Flesh and Blood'' by Michael Jan Friedman * ''Predator: Turnabout'' by
Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co ...
* ''Predator: South China Sea'' by
Jeff VanderMeer Jeff VanderMeer (born July 7, 1968) is an American author, editor, and literary critic. Initially associated with the New Weird literary genre, VanderMeer crossed over into mainstream success with his bestselling Southern Reach Trilogy. The t ...
* ''Predator: Prey to the Heavens'' by
John Arcudi John Arcudi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on '' The Mask'' and '' B.P.R.D.'', and his series '' Major Bummer''. Early life Arcudi grew up in Buffalo, New York. He attended Columbia University as an English major and ...
and Javier Saltares * ''The Predator: Hunters and Hunted'' by James A. Moore * ''Predator: Stalking Shadows'' by James A. Moore


Comic books

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
published various lines based on the franchise. The '' Fire and Stone'' (2014–2015) and ''Life and Death'' (2016–2017) series further explored what happened in the ''Alien'', ''Predator'', ''Alien vs. Predator'', and ''Prometheus'' universe following the events of the 2012 film '' Prometheus''. In July 2020,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...
announced that it had acquired the comic book rights to the ''Predator'' franchise, in addition to the rights to the ''Alien'' and ''Alien vs. Predator'' franchises.


Books

Other books expanding this fictional universe have been released through the years, and also such that depict the background to the films, including works by special effects company
Amalgamated Dynamics Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. (ADI) is an American special effects company specializing in animatronics and prosthetic make-up, headquartered in Chatsworth, California. It was founded in 1988 by Stan Winston alumni Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gil ...
Incorporated (ADI) which has worked with the ''Alien'', ''Predator'' and ''Alien vs. Predator'' films. * ''Predator The Official Movie Special'' (2018) * ''The Predator: The Art and Making of the Film'' (2018)


Video games

* ''
Predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill t ...
'' (1987) * ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter ...
'' (1990) * ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter ...
'' (1992) * '' Predator: Concrete Jungle'' (2005) * '' Predator: Hunting Grounds'' (2020)


Pinball

The Predators have appeared in two virtual pinball tables. The first one is a pinball adaptation of the first two ''Predator'' films, one of four pinball tables in the 1999 computer game ''Sci-Fi Pinball'', with the other three tables being based on '' Aliens'', ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the 1992 film of the same name, also written by Whedon, although the events of the film are not consid ...
'' and '' The Fly'', three other Fox horror films. The second one is a loose pinball adaptation of ''Alien vs. Predator'', developed by
Zen Studios Zen Studios is a Hungarian video game developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software with headquarters in Budapest, Hungary and offices in the United States. It is known for its game franchises, '' Pinball FX'' and '' Zen Pinball'', ...
and available as an add-on pack for ''
Zen Pinball 2 ''Zen Pinball 2'' is a pinball video game developed by Zen Studios for the Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Android, and PlayStation Vita. The game was announced on April 9, 2012. The first PlayStation versions were released on September 4, ...
'', '' Pinball FX 2'' and ''
Pinball FX 3 Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
'' on April 26, 2016. Based on the premise and setting (though not the plot) of that film, this table is played entirely from the perspective of a Predator ascending the ranks to become a seasoned warrior and Alien hunter, with two of the film's human leads being the table's announcers. In the early 2010s,
pinball Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails call ...
manufacturer SKIT-B attempted to create an unauthorized physical pinball adaptation of the ''Predator'' franchise, without securing licensing rights from franchise owner 20th Century Fox. After suffering from legal problems, the pinball table was cancelled on March 24, 2015, and thus, only a few prototypes of the pinball table exists to this day.


Board games

* ''Legendary Encounters: A Predator Deck Building Game'' (2015)


Other appearances

* The Predator is a downloadable character in ''
Mortal Kombat X ''Mortal Kombat X'' is a 2015 fighting video game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the tenth main installment in the ''Mortal Kom ...
'' (2015). * The Predator is an unlockable outfit and hostile NPC in ''
Fortnite Battle Royale ''Fortnite Battle Royale'' is a free-to-play battle royale game, battle royale video game developed and published by Epic Games. It is a companion game to ''Fortnite: Save the World'', a cooperative survival game with construction elements. It ...
'' Chapter 2 Season 5. * The Predator is a free challenging boss featured in ''
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands'' is a third-person tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Paris in collaboration with Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Annecy, Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft ...
''.


See also

*
List of space science fiction franchises The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to science fiction: Science fiction – a genre of fiction dealing with the impact of imagined innovations in science or technology, often in a futuristic setting. Explo ...
*
List of films featuring extraterrestrials Note: This is a list of films that feature extraterrestrial life.