It’s simply one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time. It stars the biggest action hero of all time. And it was the proving ground for two actors who would become state governors. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. But 1987’s surprise hit Predator, reviewed here at borg.com in its recent 3D incarnation, is one of those sci-fi/horror/action mash-ups that will leave you coming back to watch it over and over.
It also launched a multi-film franchise, which although not as successful as its sister franchise Aliens, gave us more to hope for: Predator 2 in 1990, Alien vs. Predator in 1993, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem in 2007, and finally Predators in 2010. In truth, none of these possessed either Arnold Schwarzenegger’s star power or Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October director John McTiernan’s eye for suspense.
So what better time to look back to the original film? A new film by writer/director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) is coming your way, and this week 20th Century Fox released a new poster to tease us. No mention of A-list stars or plot summary. Just an image of one of our two favorite interplanetary bounty hunters.
But here’s the thing. And it’s illustrated by a new trailer for Kindergarten Cop 2 (you don’t need to watch the entire trailer to get the point):
If you’re going to look to the past, don’t waste your time by going only half way. As much as we loved Dolph Lundgren in both Rocky IV and The Expendables series, only Arnold could make a sequel really worth the effort. And if Arnold is taking TV commercial gigs now, a studio could certainly afford to have him in at least a cameo for a new Predator movie.
Writer/director Shane Black–once Hollywood’s highest paid screenwriter–was an actor in the original Predator (as well as in RoboCop 3 and The Hunt for Red October). If you were a part of the original film–and as big a character as Black’s character Hawkins–wouldn’t Predator be in your very veins, and wouldn’t you want only Arnold to come back for the direct sequel that you were leading?
C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com
