The Predator is one of the most iconic characters in the history of big screen science fiction. The first film in the long-running “Predator” franchise, 1987’s “Predator,” has one of the best switcheroo premises ever, starting out as a tough guy ensemble flick before morphing into a sci-fi slasher/horror film in the second half. The movie also helped solidify Arnold Schwarzenegger as a box-office draw after his previous turns in 1982’s “Conan the Barbarian” and 1984’s “The Terminator.” While it was an arduous shoot, the film nonetheless became a massive success, which led to multiple comic book crossovers, toy lines, video games, and, of course, film sequels.
The entire Predator story includes 1990’s “Predator 2,” which is set in Los Angeles (a concrete jungle this time!) and is led by “Lethal Weapon” star Danny Glover; 2010’s “Predators,” which stars Adrian Brody as a U.S. Special Operations Forces veteran stuck on an alien planet; 2018’s “The Predator,” a horribly botched sequel written and directed by Shane Black, who featured (albeit briefly) in the original film; and 2022’s “Prey,” which is set in 1719 and follows the badass Indigenous warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder), the first female protagonist in the series.
There were also two “Alien vs. Predator” films between the second and third entries, but the less said about those, the better. All the “Predator” films involved a lot of visual effects work, even the early entries in the franchise. What did these movies look like without the special effects? Scroll on to find out.
A goofy red cloth suit was used for the Predator’s iconic cloaking effect. 1987’s “Predator” was filmed before the explosion of CGI, back when things that are considered rudimentary today were still difficult to achieve. When it came time to create the visual effect of the Predator stalking his potential victims in the jungle using his cloaking device, the visual effects team—led by supervisor Joel Hynek—had to get creative. Hynek had a lightbulb moment when he remembered a commercial that his team had previously worked on.
