Released in 1987, the Predator is an hour and 47-minute-long action film that boasts tremendous success. It features a troupe of commandos looking to free themselves from the pursuit of an extraterrestrial warrior in the Central American Jungle.
Its top casts include Arnold Schwarzenegger (Dutch), Kevin Peter Hall (The Predator), and Carl Weathers (Dillon), among other greats. Continue reading to learn more interesting Predator Movie facts.
1. The Cast and Crew Members Fell Sick during Predator’s Production
Given the conditions that they were working in, it was only a matter of time before pretty much every cast and crew member of the film fell sick. The adverse conditions included sweltering heat, leeches, snakes, and inadequate clean drinking water. Most of the crew and cast members came down with diarrhea and fever.
2. The Movie Was to Have a Different Start
The predator film starts with a troupe of commandos on board a helicopter listening to Little Richard’s Long Tall Sally and making jokes. However, the movie’s director, John McTiernan, had a different idea. Initially, he wanted the cast to arrive in the jungle through a halo jump rather than by a helicopter. Additionally, the plane would be under fire, and there would be no jokes.
3. Sonny Landham Had a Bodyguard throughout the Movies’ Production
Sonny Landham, who played Billy, had a bodyguard throughout the filming of the Predator movie. On the contrary, the personal aide was not for Sonny’s protection but for those around him. Apparently, the franchise’s insurance company had safety concerns with Sonny’s violent behavior, hence the measure.
4. The Mud Dutch Had To Wear Drained the Character’s Body Heat
Dutch, played by the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, is one of the leads in the Predator movie. However, delivering the role to perfection wasn’t easy for the actor. For instance, he had to wear pottery clay at some point. Even though he was warned that the mud would take his body temperature down, Arnold faced difficulties, especially when the weather became extremely wet.
He shivered uncontrollably. Efforts to warm him up using lamps made the matter worse as the clay dried while Arnold continued shivering. Drinking a mixture of schnapps mixture called jagartee did not help, either. Instead, he became drunk.
5. One of the Movie’s Inspirations was a Joke
Among other things, the writers of the movie Predator drew inspiration from a joke featuring Balboa, a fictional character from the Rocky film series. From the joke, it was said that if Balboa lacked earthly opponents, he would have to fight aliens for the fifth movie.
6. Some of the Ways the Weapons Used In the Film Are Not Practical
While it’s true that action films are usually fiction, some weapons used in the Predator movie are outright impractical. For instance, the M134 that Jesse Venture uses is too heavy for any soldier to carry. Instead, the tripod-attached gun is often used in choppers of other mobile units. It weighs more than 100 pounds and can fire up to 6000 rounds per minute.
7. The Cast Underwent Rigorous Training before Shooting the Film
One of the reasons why the Predator Movie Franchise enjoys massive success is because of the cast and crew’s eye for details. To achieve this, the cast members underwent rigorous military training. Gary Goldman was the military advisor hired and was tasked with “toughening the guys up.” McTiernan, the film’s director, had described the cast members as “ballerinas” lookalikes.
8. Kevin Peter Hall Couldn’t See Through the Predator Musk
Even though Kevin Peter Hall replaced Jean-Claude Van Damme as the Predator, he, too, had his challenges. For instance, the actor could not see through the predator mask. Instead, he had to memorize and rehearse his scenes with the musk off, then replay them with the mask on.
9. The Predator Movie Could Have Had a Different Director
John McTiernan is hands down one of the best action movie filmmakers. Besides the Predator, he directed the hit films Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October, among others. Interestingly, when Predator’s producers were looking for a director, McTiernan’s name wasn’t the first on their list; Geoff Murphy was.
10. Arnold Schwarzenegger Got Married While Shooting the Predator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays Dutch in the Predator movie, married Maria Shriver while shooting the film. Even though the wedding took place on April 26, 1986, fans only discovered later that the actor only had two days of honeymoon because of his commitment to the craft.
According to John Davis, the film’s producer, Arnold and his crew flew to the wedding on Friday, rehearsed that night, and conducted the wedding on Saturday. By Wednesday, Arnold was done with his honeymoon and was already back to shooting the film.
11. A Prank On Schwarzenegger Resulted in 4 a.m. Workouts
Jesse Ventura played Blain Cooper in the Predator film and starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. At one point, Jesse played a prank on Arnold; he poured water on himself, so when Arnold arrived, he thought Jesse had been working out for longer. As a result, they both agreed to start working out sooner. At one point, the completion got so stiff that they arrived at the training ground at 4 a.m.
12. Jean-Claude Van Damme Was the Original Predator
Before Kevin Peter Hall, there was Jean-Claude Van Damme. Famous for his martial arts techniques and amazing physique, the producers and directors of the Predator film thought Van Damme would be the perfect fit to play the Predator.
However, this was not to be as Van Damme could make the required movements in the jungle, making him difficult to direct. The actor also complained of the monster being too hot, giving him trouble breathing. Eventually, he was officially cut out for being too short (5’9’’). Kevin Peter Hall, who replaced him, was 7’2’’.
