"Predator" from 1987 is one of the most enduringly scary monster movies of all time. Decades later, 20th Century Studios (formerly Fox) is still cranking out sequels and even made a good one with "Prey" in 2022, but when you break down what went on behind the scenes of the original Arnold Schwarzenegger action-horror classic, it's easy to see how close this film was to being an embarrassment for everyone involved.
Shot on location in a hot-house Mexican jungle, the cast and crew were already battling the elements. They also embarked on this hunter-and-hunted suspense story the same way as the characters — without a glimpse of the Predator. Legendary "Die Hard" director John McTiernan shot a huge portion of this creature feature before he even had his monster on set, and when it arrived, the crew had to get to the chopper for a redesign.
Schwarzenegger carries this movie on his broad shoulders as the commanding commando,...
Shot on location in a hot-house Mexican jungle, the cast and crew were already battling the elements. They also embarked on this hunter-and-hunted suspense story the same way as the characters — without a glimpse of the Predator. Legendary "Die Hard" director John McTiernan shot a huge portion of this creature feature before he even had his monster on set, and when it arrived, the crew had to get to the chopper for a redesign.
Schwarzenegger carries this movie on his broad shoulders as the commanding commando,...
- 8/15/2022
- by Gino Orlandini
- Slash Film
Richard Alan Greenberg, the Oscar-nominated effects artist who took main titles for movies to another level with his designs for such films as Superman, Alien and The World According to Garp, has died. He was 71.
Greenberg died Saturday in New York City after a bout with appendicitis, his family announced.
Greenberg's Oscar nomination was for best visual effects (shared with Stan Winston, Joel Hynek and his brother, Robert Greenberg) for John McTiernan's Predator (1987). He also collaborated with the director on another Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer, Last Action Hero (1993).
In 1977, the Chicago native and his brother ...
Greenberg died Saturday in New York City after a bout with appendicitis, his family announced.
Greenberg's Oscar nomination was for best visual effects (shared with Stan Winston, Joel Hynek and his brother, Robert Greenberg) for John McTiernan's Predator (1987). He also collaborated with the director on another Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer, Last Action Hero (1993).
In 1977, the Chicago native and his brother ...
- 6/20/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Richard Alan Greenberg, the Oscar-nominated effects artist who took main titles for movies to another level with his designs for such films as Superman, Alien and The World According to Garp, has died. He was 71.
Greenberg died Saturday in New York City after a bout with appendicitis, his family announced.
Greenberg's Oscar nomination was for best visual effects (shared with Stan Winston, Joel Hynek and his brother, Robert Greenberg) for John McTiernan's Predator (1987). He also collaborated with the director on another Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer, Last Action Hero (1993).
In 1977, the Chicago native and his brother ...
Greenberg died Saturday in New York City after a bout with appendicitis, his family announced.
Greenberg's Oscar nomination was for best visual effects (shared with Stan Winston, Joel Hynek and his brother, Robert Greenberg) for John McTiernan's Predator (1987). He also collaborated with the director on another Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer, Last Action Hero (1993).
In 1977, the Chicago native and his brother ...
- 6/20/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director John McTiernan’s sci-fi classic Predator was released 31 years ago today on June 12, 1987.
Having just starred in The Terminator (1984), Red Sonja and Commando (1985), Arnold Schwarzenegger was the biggest movie star of the 1980’s with his name alone selling tickets.
Predator also featured Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Kevin Peter Hall (as The Predator) and writer/actor Shane Black, has one of the best opening credits, scored by composer Alan Silvestri, and is one of the quintessential sci-fi films from the 1980’s.
Major Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the leader of a military rescue unit looking for allies captured by guerrillas in the Latin American jungle. At first it seems like any other mission: Schaefer and his team of seasoned combat veterans spot a guerilla camp, destroy it, and find the men they were sent to rescue executed. But when Schaefer attempts to lead his unit out, with a captured guerrilla in tow,...
Having just starred in The Terminator (1984), Red Sonja and Commando (1985), Arnold Schwarzenegger was the biggest movie star of the 1980’s with his name alone selling tickets.
Predator also featured Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Kevin Peter Hall (as The Predator) and writer/actor Shane Black, has one of the best opening credits, scored by composer Alan Silvestri, and is one of the quintessential sci-fi films from the 1980’s.
Major Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the leader of a military rescue unit looking for allies captured by guerrillas in the Latin American jungle. At first it seems like any other mission: Schaefer and his team of seasoned combat veterans spot a guerilla camp, destroy it, and find the men they were sent to rescue executed. But when Schaefer attempts to lead his unit out, with a captured guerrilla in tow,...
- 6/12/2018
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
You may or may not know this, but Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast in the 1987 film Predator. This was a time when he was an unknown actor and he was supposed to play The Predator. He eventually ended up being fired and replaced by Kevin Peter Hall. There's actually footage of Van Damme in the original Predator suit that you can watch here.
Some new stories have surfaced from several people that worked on the film explaining why Van Damme was fired. There are a few different reasons and stories given and one of them was because he wouldn't stop kickboxing! He wanted Predator to be a kickboxer alien from outer space, which is a good title for a 1960s sci-fi movie, but producer Joel Silver didn't want that.
Van Damme was apparently just walking up to people like Silver and into people offices jumping around and showing how high he could kick. Stunt Coordinator Craig Baxley recalled:
"Joel and I were walking down the hallway of the hotel together and Jean-Claude was walking toward us with his assistant. And Jean-Claude walked up and said, 'Are you Joel Silver?' And he said yeah. And Jean said, 'Well look at this!' And he jumped up in the air, I swear to God, did the splits with his legs straight out and his crotch was at eye level — and I'm 6 feet tall."
As far as the reasons given as to why Van Damme was fired there are several different accounts. My favorite comes from special effects supervisor Joel Hynek. While talking to THR for the film's 30th anniversary he said:
"I was in Joel Silver's trailer, and he had called for Jean-Claude to come see him. And he comes in the trailer and Joel starts saying, 'You gotta stop kickboxing!' --- because [Jean-Claude] wanted to kickbox --- and he was telling him, 'Look, the Predator is not a kickboxer.' And Van Damme was like (Van Damme voice), 'I must do that; that's how I see the Predator.' And Joel said, 'Well, you're fired. Get out of here.' And Van Damme says, 'Kiss my balls!' and walks out, and that was the end of that."
I don't know how Van Damme would have been able to pull off some of his signature kickboxing moves in the suit, but apparently, he was and Silver wasn't impressed. A mixed martial artist Predator certainly would have made things even more interesting... in a silly way. I thought the way the Predator was handled in the film was perfect. Ya gotta hand to Van Damme, though, for telling Silver to kiss his balls! That takes balls.
One of the other reasons given as to why he was fired included him breaking a $20,000 Predator head. Baxley explains:
"He was there to play the creature, and a company called Boss had designed a creature. It had the head of an ant. And they spent an absolute fortune on this. And so they brought Jean-Claude out and they put the head on Jean-Claude, and Jean-Claude stood up and freaked out, and took off this $20,000 head and threw it on the ground and it shattered. And Joel said, 'What the f— are you doing!' And he told Jean-Claude, 'You'll never work in Hollywood again! Get off my set!' So that was it."
Apparently, Van Damme hated the original red suit that he had to wear. Not sure why he would freak out, though. A couple other reasons given were because he was too short to play the alien hunter and he didn't want to wear the suit. He wanted his face to be seen. Then, of course, Fox apparently hated the footage they saw of him in the suit.
Regardless of how Van Damme's firing went down, I think we all know now that it was for the best.
Some new stories have surfaced from several people that worked on the film explaining why Van Damme was fired. There are a few different reasons and stories given and one of them was because he wouldn't stop kickboxing! He wanted Predator to be a kickboxer alien from outer space, which is a good title for a 1960s sci-fi movie, but producer Joel Silver didn't want that.
Van Damme was apparently just walking up to people like Silver and into people offices jumping around and showing how high he could kick. Stunt Coordinator Craig Baxley recalled:
"Joel and I were walking down the hallway of the hotel together and Jean-Claude was walking toward us with his assistant. And Jean-Claude walked up and said, 'Are you Joel Silver?' And he said yeah. And Jean said, 'Well look at this!' And he jumped up in the air, I swear to God, did the splits with his legs straight out and his crotch was at eye level — and I'm 6 feet tall."
As far as the reasons given as to why Van Damme was fired there are several different accounts. My favorite comes from special effects supervisor Joel Hynek. While talking to THR for the film's 30th anniversary he said:
"I was in Joel Silver's trailer, and he had called for Jean-Claude to come see him. And he comes in the trailer and Joel starts saying, 'You gotta stop kickboxing!' --- because [Jean-Claude] wanted to kickbox --- and he was telling him, 'Look, the Predator is not a kickboxer.' And Van Damme was like (Van Damme voice), 'I must do that; that's how I see the Predator.' And Joel said, 'Well, you're fired. Get out of here.' And Van Damme says, 'Kiss my balls!' and walks out, and that was the end of that."
I don't know how Van Damme would have been able to pull off some of his signature kickboxing moves in the suit, but apparently, he was and Silver wasn't impressed. A mixed martial artist Predator certainly would have made things even more interesting... in a silly way. I thought the way the Predator was handled in the film was perfect. Ya gotta hand to Van Damme, though, for telling Silver to kiss his balls! That takes balls.
One of the other reasons given as to why he was fired included him breaking a $20,000 Predator head. Baxley explains:
"He was there to play the creature, and a company called Boss had designed a creature. It had the head of an ant. And they spent an absolute fortune on this. And so they brought Jean-Claude out and they put the head on Jean-Claude, and Jean-Claude stood up and freaked out, and took off this $20,000 head and threw it on the ground and it shattered. And Joel said, 'What the f— are you doing!' And he told Jean-Claude, 'You'll never work in Hollywood again! Get off my set!' So that was it."
Apparently, Van Damme hated the original red suit that he had to wear. Not sure why he would freak out, though. A couple other reasons given were because he was too short to play the alien hunter and he didn't want to wear the suit. He wanted his face to be seen. Then, of course, Fox apparently hated the footage they saw of him in the suit.
Regardless of how Van Damme's firing went down, I think we all know now that it was for the best.
- 6/23/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The bigger it is the better it is. Yash Raj Films certainly seems to believe this. The reason we say that is because the upcoming Aamir Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra and Katrina Kaif starrer Dhoom 3 will feature visual effects by Hollywood biggie Joel Hynek. Joel Hynek is considered one of the most knowledgeable visual effects supervisors in the industry. His background in effects and animation comes with a reputation for creative and technical innovation and uncompromising attention to detail and a wealth of experience in many other aspects of feature film production. Hynek recently served as Visual Effects Supervisor on The Mummy: Tomb of the Emperor Dragon. Previous to that, Mr. Hynek worked on films like Jumper, Predator, Die Hard 2, and XXX to name a few. In Yrf's Dhoom 3, Joel will once again helm the visual effects department for the film.
- 7/4/2012
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
Tata Elxsi Ltd. announced the addition of visual effects' industry veterans Joel Hynek, Tricia Ashford and Treva Blue to their team. The trio will operate the Los Angeles arm of the company's division Visual Computing Labs (Vcl), as part of its strategy to expand its presence in Hollywood. The three will lead VFX production for Vcl in the Us and work in tandem with Vcl's studio in Mumbai. ...
- 12/3/2009
- BusinessofCinema
Mumbai based Visual Computing Labs (Vcl), a part of the Tata Group and one of the leading VFX companies in India, recently announced opening of its new studio in the Us. Based in Santa Monica, La, the new setup is designed for Us based films and television production companies. Speaking at the announcement, Madhukar Dev, MD of Tata Elxsi, shared, "The new studio covers an area of close to 4,000 sq feet and has the capacity to accommodate 45 artists at a time who will be working on project basis and freelance model." To head the creative team of artists, the company has hired VFX industry veterans like Joel Hynek, Tricia Ashford and Treva Blue, who bring several years of industry experience with them. S. Nagarajan, COO of Vcl added, "There will be a synergy between both studios i.e. India and the Us which will provide services according to the clients' need.
- 12/2/2009
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
Mumbai based Visual Computing Labs (Vcl), a part of the Tata Group and one of the leading VFX companies in India, recently announced opening of its new studio in the Us. Based in Santa Monica, La, the new setup is designed for Us based films and television production companies. Speaking at the announcement, Madhukar Dev, MD of Tata Elxsi, shared, "The new studio covers an area of close to 4,000 sq feet and has the capacity to accommodate 45 artists at a time who will be working on project basis and freelance model." To head the creative team of artists, the company has hired VFX industry veterans like Joel Hynek, Tricia Ashford and Treva Blue, who bring several years of industry experience with them. S. Nagarajan, COO of Vcl added, "There will be a synergy between both studios i.e. India and the Us which will provide services according to the clients' need.
- 12/2/2009
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
Frankfurt, Germany -- Leading VFX supervisors emphasized the goal of realism as they dissected some of the summer's biggest tentpoles for standing room crowds here Tuesday as the Edit Filmmakers Festival wrapped.
"My premise is that I'd like to have at least 50% of the image in camera," said Industrial Light + Magic's Pablo Helman, VFX supervisor on "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," as he showed various shots in jungle and temple sequences that included numerous live-action elements. "I would not come up with a shot that is all CG or all miniature. The state of visual (effects) literally is such that people can tell if there is only one technique. I think it works better to put things together."
Academy Award winner John Nelson, the VFX supervisor on Jon Favreau's "Iron Man," similarly aimed to incorporate live-action elements where possible.
"Realism was beaten into me on a daily basis,...
"My premise is that I'd like to have at least 50% of the image in camera," said Industrial Light + Magic's Pablo Helman, VFX supervisor on "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," as he showed various shots in jungle and temple sequences that included numerous live-action elements. "I would not come up with a shot that is all CG or all miniature. The state of visual (effects) literally is such that people can tell if there is only one technique. I think it works better to put things together."
Academy Award winner John Nelson, the VFX supervisor on Jon Favreau's "Iron Man," similarly aimed to incorporate live-action elements where possible.
"Realism was beaten into me on a daily basis,...
- 9/30/2008
- by By Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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