Where to watch Predator (1987)

Trivia & production notes

• The script was originally titled Hunter and imagined multiple alien species hunting various prey before being streamlined to focus on a single extraterrestrial pursuing humans.
• Screenwriters Jim and John Thomas, working on their first film script with little Hollywood credibility, resorted to slipping their screenplay under the door of 20th Century Fox producer Michael Levy.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger initially resisted the script because it featured only him against the alien, so the writers rewrote it to include a team of commandos.
• Jean-Claude Van Damme was cast as the Predator but removed from the role after it became clear his 5'9" frame looked unintimidating next to the 6-foot-plus actors playing the soldiers, and he reportedly complained about the suit's heat and passing out inside it.
• Kevin Peter Hall, who replaced Van Damme as the Predator, was a 7'2" actor who had just finished playing the sasquatch in Harry and the Hendersons.
• Filming was halted on April 25, 1986, so Schwarzenegger could fly to his wedding on April 26, after which he honeymooned for only three days before returning to set.
• Both director John McTiernan and Schwarzenegger lost 25 pounds during filming, though McTiernan's loss came from avoiding Mexican food due to health concerns while Schwarzenegger's was intentional.
• Stan Winston designed the Predator creature after James Cameron suggested adding mandibles during a plane conversation, which became a signature feature of the alien's appearance.
• The Predator's invisibility effect was created by filming a performer in a bright red suit, removing the red via chroma key to leave an empty area, then optically compositing a wider-angle shot of the jungle to create the illusion of a bending outline.
• The glowing blood effect was achieved by mixing green liquid from glow sticks with personal lubricant to create the right texture and color.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article Predator (film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewritten for StreamShack; errors are ours — tell us about them.