This week saw a massive influx of news on Shane Black's 'The Predator' as the director made his press rounds promoting his latest film 'The Nice Guys'. Fans of the original Predator films were extremely thrilled with what Black had to say about his plans and direction for the next Predator installment. At the same time, Michael Fassbender also managed to hype up Alien fans with his own interviews he conducted in Sydney while he is currently filming Alien: Covenant and promoting his upcoming film, X-Men Apocalypse. Read on for a summary of all the updates for both of these high profile sci-fi sequels!
'The Predator' will NOT be set in a 'Sci-Fi world'.
Unlike the third Predator sequel 'Predators' which was directed by Robert Rodriguez, Shane Black's 'The Predator' will apparently not take place on some other planet or "Sci-Fi" world. Black's goal is to bring the Predator back to its roots and maintain a level of mystery without having to take the audience to an unknown place. This suggests that 'The Predator' will in fact be set on Earth like the 1987 original and 'Predator 2'.
Black, who starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the first Predator movie also mentioned his adoration and appreciation for the franchise's original director, John McTiernan - adding that he plans to model 'The Predator' after McTiernan's work in an attempt to regain the same feeling of wonderment, mystery and adventure that the original 'Predator' had.
Expect an 'organically' different look to the Predator's costume and weaponry!
Black was also quite open about discussing their plans with regards to the overall look of the new Predator. As with every Predator film, the creature itself has gone through various design changes. Using Stan Winston's original design as the starting-off point, Black aims to introduce us to an 'organically' different Predator. His use of the term 'organically' should assure fans that the Predator's looks will not be altered or tampered with too much, but more so improved upon in subtle ways. Pairing with the evolved design, Shane also revealed 'The Predator' will introduce us to a variety of new Predator technology and weaponry! Of course, we can assume the classic wrist blades and plasma caster will make an appearance, but Black seemed to emphasize that there will be quite a range of new tools at the Predator's disposal.
Expect a solid R-rating for 'The Predator', Black won't hold back!
Another reassuring point Black made last week was the assertion that 'The Predator' would be rated R, like the sequels which came before it. Black explained that part of his willingness to take on 'The Predator' was in-part due to 20 Century Fox's support for an adult-focused film, with no barriers being set in order to tap into a younger demographic. This of course was all but expected, given that the Predator was never a child-friendly movie franchise in the first place.
Alien: Covenant also reverting back to origins with classic monsters and aesthetics!
Moving on, we were privileged to receive an update on Alien: Covenant by the film's front-runner Michael Fassbender, who plays the film's 8th generation Weyland android, David. During his own press interviews for his upcoming blockbuster X-Men Apocalypse, Fassbender dropped some pretty significant statements about Covenant's aesthetic and even confirmed that the film will feature multiple Alien beings "coming out of people".
Interestingly, Fassbender insinuated that the general look and feel of 'Alien: Covenant' will be very similar to that of the 1979 original 'Alien', as well as Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner'. He adds that Covenant, like 'Alien' will weave elements of both past and future to create a believable, yet mysterious world.
Concluding, Fassbender claimed that we will once again be introduced to fantastic practical sets like in 'Prometheus' and also teased the return of the terrifying Chestburster. As previously stated by director Ridley Scott, who plans to re-invent the Alien life cycle and even out-do its impact in Alien, Fassbender mentioned that 'Alien: Covenant' will see "great sets and Aliens coming out of people".
Many questions for both of these anticipated sequels have yet to be addressed, but for the time being, these tid bits will serve as great discussion material and aid in the growing hype for their respective releases. Shane Black's 'The Predator' begins filming as early as late September of this year, releasing March 2nd, 2018. Ridley Scott's Prometheus sequel 'Alien: Covenant' is currently filming for a 16-week period in Sydney Australia's Fox Studios and will release next year on August 4th, 2017! Be sure to visit our Predator movie blog and Prometheus movie blog for the latest updates, rumors and scoops on both of these highly anticipated sequels!
