PopHorror Let's Get Scared
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than 35 years since Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) first told us to “GET TO DA CHOPPA!” Schwarzenegger’s Predator was released on June 12, 1987. I bet there are a few things you still didn’t know about this action thriller. PopHorror has compiled a list of some rare trivia about the film Rolling Stone readers ranked a Top 5 Action Film of All Time.
Predator kicks ass. We all know that. Here are some things you might NOT know…
1. The movie was originally called Hunter
At least that’s what screenwriters Jim and John Thomas titled their original spec script. I remember as a kid reading a blurb in a Hollywood gossip rag that referred to it as Hunter in a breaking news story. Later, the name changed to Predator. Why? There are conflicting reports. Some say it sounded better. Tougher. IMDb trivia speculates it was to avoid confusion with the Hunter TV series. That, to me, seems more likely.
2. Predator: The Novel is a lot different
I don’t remember it being THAT far off, but there’s a laundry list of differences. The biggest one I remember (not listed here) is Hawkins’ joke. In the novel, he tells Billy just one joke: “Hey Billy. How many Marines does it take to eat a squirrel? Two. One to eat it and one to watch for cars!”
3. The Predator Video Game is even MORE different
Activision released a side-scrolling NES game based on the movie. I say “based on the movie” loosely. It feels like an entirely different game they slapped the Predator name on to save time and cash in. I have no evidence to back this up. I can tell you, however, the game is stupidly hard. Rage-inducing, even. It was also banned in Germany. The music was cool, though!
4. It was Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s first film role
Ventura, a well-known professional wrestler, left the WWE (WWF at the time) announcer’s chair to take the role of Blaine. Jesse would go on to co-star with Schwarzenegger twice more. He played Captain Freedom in The Running Man and an Arkham Asylum Guard in Batman & Robin. Check out this video where the “Goddamn sexual Tyrannosaurus” (who seems a little starstruck here) shares some stories from the set…
And don’t forget the ultimate prank Arnold played on Jesse over whose guns were bigger!
5. It was an interesting time at the box office
Predator opened at #1 at the box office the weekend of June 12 – 14, 1987 with $12,000,000 in receipts. It was the 2nd largest opening weekend of 1987. The film was the 12th highest-grossing film of 1987. The movie is Schwarzenegger’s 10th highest-grossing film (where he is the main star). The Witches of Eastwick, The Untouchables, Beverly Hills Cop II, Platoon, and Harry & The Hendersons were all in theaters that weekend.
6. Roger Ebert liked Predator, giving it 3 stars out of 4
He pointed out in his review that the Predator and Harry from Hendersons were both played by the late Kevin Peter Hall. You probably heard this factoid already, but I’ll mention it anyway. At one point early on, Jean-Claude Van Damme was cast as the creature. No, really.
7. Shane Black, who played Hawkins, was secretly…
…an on-set script doctor! Predator‘s production was not exactly set in stone, and many aspects of the production were changed on the fly, not the least of which was the script. Having Black on hand made it easier to touch up the script on an “as needed” basis without having to give a screenwriting credit.
Black went on to direct the sequel, The Predator, years later (read our review here).
Interesting stuff, eh?
The Ultimate Hunter Edition Blu-ray is available on Amazon for under $10. Go grab a copy! Wait. That’s just silly. You already own it, right? Right?!? I mean, who DOESN’T own a copy of Predator?
Before I sign off (and go watch Predator) I just want to take a moment to thank Arnold and everyone else involved for giving us two amazing things: a RIDICULOUS body count…
…and the most epic handshake in the history of cinema!
What’s your favorite Predator moment? Sound off in the comments!
