Predator franchise

The ***Predator film series*** is a science fiction action horror film franchise based on a race of fictional extraterrestrials created by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Produced by 20th Century Fox, the series started in 1987 with the film Predator, which led to two sequels and novel, comic book and video game spin-offs. Related to the franchise is the Alien vs. Predator, which combine the titular Predator with the creatures from the Alien film series.

### Predator (1987)

* June 12, 1987 (US)
* January 1, 1988 (UK)

> *"Nothing like it has ever been on earth before. It came for the thrill of the hunt. It picked the wrong man to hunt. Soon the hunt will begin."*
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***Predator*** is an American science-fiction action horror film directed by John McTiernan. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leader of an elite special forces team which is on a mission to rescue hostages from guerrilla held territory in Val Verde in Central America's Northern Triangle. Kevin Peter Hall co-stars as the titular antagonist, a technologically advanced form of extraterrestrial life secretly stalking and hunting the team. Predator was written by brothers Jim and John Thomas in 1985, under the working title of Hunter. Filming began in April 1986 and creature effects were devised by Stan Winston.

#### Plot Summary

A team of special force ops, led by a tough but fair soldier, Major "Dutch" Schaefer (Schwarzenegger), are ordered to assist CIA man, Colonel Dillon (Carl Weathers), on a rescue mission for potential survivors of a Helicopter downed over remote South American jungle. Not long after they land, Dutch and his team discover that they have been sent in under false pretences. This deception turns out to be the least of their worries though, when they find themselves being methodically hunted by something not of this world. IMDb.com

#### Cast

* Arnold Schwarzenegger as Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer
* Carl Weathers as Colonel George Dillon
* Elpidia Carrillo as Anna Gonsalves
* Bill Duke as Mac Eliot
* Richard Chaves as Jorge "Poncho" Ramírez
* Jesse Ventura as Blain Cooper
* Sonny Landham as Billy Sole
* Shane Black as Rick Hawkins
* R. G. Armstrong as Major General Homer Phillips
* Kevin Peter Hall as The Predator / helicopter pilot
* Sven-Ole Thorsen as Soviet military adviser

### Predator 2 (1990)

* November 21, 1990 (US)
* May 3, 1991 (UK)

> *"Silent. Invisible. Invincible. The Ultimate Hunter. This Time... Los Angeles, 1997.*
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> He's in town with a few days to kill.*"*
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*Predator 2* is an American science fiction action-horror film film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Ruben Blades, Gary Busey, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton and Kevin Peter Hall. The film is a sequel to 1987's Predator, with Peter Hall reprising the title role of the Predator.

#### Plot Summary

LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Glover) and his cocky detective partner Jerry Lambert (Paxton) soon realise that what seemed a bloody feud between voodoo high priest King Willie's (Calvin Lockhart) Jamaican gangs and Ramon Vega's (Corey Rand) Colombian drug gang is actually the work of a scary third party. Peter Keyes's (Busey) federal team shields the crime scene even for the LAPD, but after forensics proves it must be an alien, who keeps making victims, the chase brings them all together.

#### Notable Cast

* Danny Glover as Lieutenant Michael Mike R. Harrigan, an LAPD Officer who is investigating rival Jamaican and Colombian drug cartels. He is very stubborn and often is criticized by the superior officers for not obeying orders.
* Kevin Peter Hall as The Predator, a member of a warrior race which hunts aggressive members of other species for sport, uses active camouflage, a plasma weapon and can see in the infrared spectrum.
* Gary Busey as Special Agent Peter Keyes, posed as a DEA agent leading a special task force investigating a drug conspiracy as a cover for his attempts to capture the Predator.
* Ruben Blades as Detective Danny Archuleta, a member of Harrigan's team and a long time friend of his.
* María Conchita Alonso as Detective Leona Cantrell, an LAPD cop involved in the Jamaican-Colombian gang wars.
* Bill Paxton as Detective Jerry Lambert, an LAPD cop, transferred from another precinct into Metro Command. His role is often that of comic relief.
* Robert Davi as Deputy Chief Phil Heinemann.
* Adam Baldwin as Garber, a member of Keyes' task force.
* Kent McCord as Captain B. Pilgrim, an LAPD cop and Harrigan's immediate boss.
* Calvin Lockhart as King Willie, the boss of the Jamaica Voodoo Posse. He appears to be psychic because of his voodoo beliefs.

#### Novelisation

A novelisation of the film written by Simon Hawke was released on December 1, 1990. The novelisation provided a small amount of information regarding the fate of "Dutch" from the first film. Keyes recalls memories of speaking with the battered Major while in a hospital, suffering from radiation sickness. "Dutch" is said to have escaped from the hospital, never to be seen again. Furthermore, the novel tells a great deal of the story from the Predator's point of view, such as its humiliation of having its mask removed by Harrigan, and its reasoning for not killing Cantrell due to its discovery of her pregnancy.

#### Soundtrack

Alan Silvestri returned to score the sequel, conducting the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. Whereas the first film did not have its music released until years later, a soundtrack album for the sequel was issued on December 11, 1990.