Predators (2010 film)

Mercenary Royce is dropped from the sky into an unfamiliar jungle and meets several others who arrive the same way: Los Zetas enforcer Cuchillo, Spetsnaz Alpha Group soldier Nikolai, IDF sniper Isabelle, RUF officer Mombasa, San Quentin death row inmate Stans, Inagawa-kai Yakuza enforcer Hanzo, and physician Edwin. Following Royce, they discover a strange monument, empty cages, and deadfall traps set by a deceased U.S. Special Forces soldier. They soon realize they are not on Earth upon seeing a sky filled with unfamiliar planets. After surviving a coordinated attack by a pack of alien beasts, Royce deduces that they are being hunted and that the planet is a game preserve. Cuchillo is killed and his body used to lure the group into a trap, which they evade. Tracking the beasts to a camp, they find a captive Predator. Three larger Predators—known as "Tracker", "Berserker", and "Falconer"—attack the group and kill Mombasa, while the others escape. Isabelle identifies the captive Predator as matching the description of a creature that killed a special operations team in Guatemala before being defeated by a lone survivor in 1987. The group encounters Ronald Noland, a U.S. Air Cavalry soldier who has survived alone for years by hiding and scavenging. He brings them to his hideout and explains that the Predators abduct worthy prey from other worlds, and that a blood feud exists between the larger and smaller Predators, which he likens to the difference between wolves and dogs. Royce devises a plan to free the captive Predator, hoping it will take them home. Noland then turns on the group, attempting to suffocate them with smoke in their sleep and steal their equipment. Royce detonates an explosive to draw the Predators to the hideout. Tracker locates and kills Noland before releasing the group. During the ensuing chase, Nikolai sacrifices himself to kill Tracker and save Edwin, detonating several Claymores in the Predator's face after being shot in the back. Berserker intercepts the survivors, but Stans distracts it long enough for the others to escape; Berserker kills Stans by ripping out his skull and spine, then dispatches Falconer to pursue the remaining humans. Hanzo stays behind to duel Falconer with a katana, killing it but sustaining mortal wounds in the process. Royce, Isabelle, and Edwin press on until a trap leaves Edwin injured. When Isabelle refuses to abandon him, Royce leaves them both behind. Berserker captures them and throws them into a pit. Royce returns to the camp and frees the captive Predator in exchange for transport to Earth. The Predator remotely activates its ship and sets a course for home. As Royce races to board, Berserker arrives and overpowers and decapitates the captive Predator before remotely destroying the ship as it lifts off, apparently killing Royce. Meanwhile, Edwin paralyzes Isabelle with neurotoxic plant poison smeared on his scalpel, revealing himself to be a serial killer who intends to remain on the planet. Royce reappears; Edwin attempts to attack him, but Royce turns the poison against Edwin and booby-traps his body with grenades to use as bait, wounding Berserker. With Isabelle's help, Royce defeats and decapitates Berserker. The two finally introduce themselves to each other. Spotting more parachutes descending from the sky and surmising that fresh prey is arriving, the pair head deeper into the jungle to find a way back to Earth. ==Cast==

• Adrien Brody as Royce, an ex-U.S. Special Operations Forces veteran turned mercenary who reluctantly assumes leadership of the group of humans. Brody said he had been "blown away" by Predator and viewed his role as a challenge, wanting to bring a complexity to the character that would contrast with Schwarzenegger's role in the original film. He put on of muscle for the role, stating that "I want it to be entertaining and part of the ride that people see when they see a movie like that. But that's not really why I'm in it and that's not really what I brought to it. I brought the same kind of discipline that I would to a film like The Pianist." "We thought casting a physically 'Schwarzenegger-esque' character would have done the original film a disservice", said Antal, "and would have done this film a disservice because we are not trying to remake or copy the original film. I told everybody early on that I can make anybody look tough. What I can't do is teach them how to act". Brody has expressed interest in reprising his role in future sequels. She failed to save her spotter during a mission, and feels that she has been brought to the alien planet as punishment and to seek redemption. Braga described the character as "a tough cookie … sweet inside but tough outside". Taktarov used his martial arts training during some of the film's action sequences. • Louis Ozawa Changchien as Hanzo, a Yakuza Inagawa-kai enforcer who rarely speaks and reveals late in the film that he is missing his leftmost two fingers, having performed yubitsume. "I guess he used to be a guy who can murder someone without a qualm," said Changchien of the character, "but by the time he arrives [on the alien planet], he'll no longer be that kind of person. Those things aren't explained in the script, but you'll get it when you see the movie." Changchien used his kendo training for a scene in which his character uses a katana in a duel against a Predator. The Predators are identified in the film's credits as the "Classic Predator", "Tracker Predator", "Falconer Predator", and "Berserker Predator". Mears plays the Classic Predator, designed to resemble the creature in the original film. Steele plays the Berserker and Falconer Predators, two of the larger Predators hunting the humans. The Berserker Predator is identified by alien mandible attached to its helmet and faces off against Royce in the film's climax, while the Falconer Predator controls a flying reconnaissance drone and is killed by Hanzo. Jones plays the Tracker Predator, identified by a pair of tusks attached to its helmet, which controls the quadrupedal hunting animals and is killed by Nikolai. Jones also doubled for Steele in some scenes as the Berserker and Falconer Predators. ==Production==

Development In 1994, Robert Rodriguez wrote an early script for a third Predator film for 20th Century Fox, while he was working on Desperado at the time. Rodriguez presented the script to the studio, but was denied when they realized that the budget would be too large. In 2009, Fox studio executive Alex Young called Rodriguez to consider using his treatment to revive the individual Predator franchise. Rodriguez would serve as producer, while Alex Litvak and Michael Finch would pen the script. The film was produced at Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios as opposed to Fox so that Rodriguez had more creative control over the film. It was originally thought that Rodriguez would direct, but on July 1, 2009, Nimród Antal was officially signed on to direct. Rodriguez and Antal originally said they wanted the film to be a sequel only to the original Predator Casting At the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con Rodriguez stated that Predators would feature an ensemble cast, and that the most important element of the film would be "great characters so that the audience feels they're going on this journey with them". Filming The film was shot on a 53-day schedule. Exterior filming location was mostly set in Kolekole, Hawaii. Filming started on September 28, 2009. The film wrapped up its 22-day shoot on the Hawaii location on November 1, 2009. The film shot its interior set scenes at Robert Rodriguez's studio in Austin, Texas. Sixty percent of the film was shot in Texas in order to be eligible for a tax benefit. Berger, who worked with Winston on the original Predator, stated that the studio is reprising the original Stan Winston design of the Predator in the film, saying "We wanted to have the Predator look as it did in the original film. We went back and looked at the original … everyone's going to be very happy that we've been very faithful to the Stan Winston designs." In addition to the original Predator designs, the film features many new creatures never before seen in a Predator film, such as a new breed of Predators that belong to a different tribe, alien creatures that have been domesticated by the Predators for use in hunting, and other alien creatures that have been brought to the planet by the Predators to be used as prey. ==Music==

There had been speculation that original Predator composer and conductor Alan Silvestri would return to do the score, but on February 26, 2010, it was announced that John Debney, who worked with Rodriguez on such films as Spy Kids and Sin City, would compose the original score for the film. Rodriguez shared his thoughts on how the score should play out, saying: Debney recorded many custom sounds and instruments, including Tibetan long horns to create squeals and screams. He also manipulated metal scrapes and ethnic percussion to further highlight the advanced yet brutal and primitive quality of the Predators and their world. Debney also put up a sneak-peek of one of the Predators scoring sessions. La-La Land Records released the original score for the film on July 5, 2010. The song "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard plays during the credits; it was also used in the original Predator film. ==Release==

Theatrical It was announced on March 3, 2010, that Rodriguez and Antal would reveal a first look at Predators at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas on March 12, at 10:15pm. Rodriguez expressed his excitement about the event, saying, "My director Nimród Antal and I are excited to bring this first look at Predators to Austin's SXSW Film Festival, an event that's become vital to the filmmaking scene. Austin is my home and I'm proud that Predators was conceived and filmed here." Home media Predators was released on Blu-ray and DVD formats on October 19, 2010. Both releases include commentary tracks by Robert Rodriguez and Nimród Antal, motion comics, and behind-the-scenes-features. The Blu-ray edition includes additional behind-the-scenes features as well as deleted and extended scenes. ==Reception==

Box office Released on July 9, 2010, in the United States, Predators opened with $10 million on Friday. The film finished third at the box office with $24.8 million during its first weekend, behind Despicable Me and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The film was released internationally on July 8, 2010, and had its biggest success in the markets of the UK and Ireland with $6.8 million and Japan with $6.3 million. The film has grossed $52 million in the United States and $75.2 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $127.2 million. On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of C+ on an A+ to F scale. A.O. Scott of The New York Times said, "Antal is a good enough action director that some of the combat is pretty exciting." Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "When the story relocates to the Fishburne character's grimy, claustrophobic domicile, the movie turns static. The filmmakers may have been going for an Alien industrial-grunge vibe, but the tension just isn't sufficient." The primary complaint leveled against the film is the failure, as film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described, of the cast to capture the "quiet suspense" of the original Predator film. Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly complained that the film's characters were more like "cardboard clichés lining up for the body count" than real action heroes. Accolades ==Sequel==

Nimród Antal had talked about a direct sequel to Predators and said he would love to do one. Rodriguez has said that he has interest in a sequel because of the large number of potential ideas the Predator planet setting provides: In 2010, Rodriguez confirmed that there would eventually be a Predators sequel: Adrien Brody also spoke about reprising his role in a possible sequel: In June 2014, Fox announced plans for a new film, with Shane Black co-writing and directing, Fred Dekker co-writing and John Davis producing (without the involvement of Rodriguez). At the time, Black said the film is a sequel, rather than a reboot, while Davis said the film would "reinvent the franchise". It was explained that since the plot takes place on Earth, the story will be more closely linked to the first two films; while the film acknowledges the events of Predator and Predator 2. ==Other media==

Comic books A four issue tie-in Predators comic book by Dark Horse Comics was released weekly from June 9 to June 30 to promote the release of the film. The comic series, consisting of two storylines titled "Welcome to the Jungle" and "A Predatory Life", serves as a prequel to the events depicted in the film. On July 14, a 72-page one-shot adaptation of the film was released, showing more back story of the characters Royce and Isabelle than is depicted in the film. On the same day a one-shot sequel comic titled "Preserve the Game" was also released, depicting the further adventures of Royce and Isabelle two months after the events of the film. A Marvel comic book titled Predator The Last Hunt released on February 21, 2024 and included elements from the film Predators such as the Predator Hell-Hounds. Toys In July 2010, NECA released the Classic Predator, Falconer Predator, and Berserker Predator action figures. NECA later released a second series of figures in December, consisting of a masked Classic Predator, an unmasked Berserker Predator, and the Tracker Predator. The Predator hound was released in March 2011. Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles have also created props, maquettes and figures for the film. Video games Downloadable games publisher Chillingo secured a licensing agreement with Fox Digital Entertainment to publish the official Predators video game for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad through Apple's App Store. The game was developed by independent game developer Angry Mob Games and was released on July 1, 2010, a week before the film's theatrical release. The game was later ported to Android and published by Fox Digital Entertainment in 2012. Braga also reprises Isabelle in the 2020 Predator video game Predator: Hunting Grounds in paid downloadable content. Separate paid downloadable content for the same game features Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer from the original 1987 Predator. ==See also==