Skull is the title of the next Predator movie, and from the sounds of this interview with its producers, it's shaking up the formula of the series in a number of curious ways.
Amber Midthunder is playing Kee, the central character who will take on the Predator in its first excursion to Earth. "It goes back to what made the original Predator movie work," explained producer John Davis in a chat with Collider, while mentioning that a female hero is "always... interesting" for the audience. "It's the ingenuity of a human being who won't give up, who's able to observe and interpret, basically being able to beat a stronger, more powerful, well-armed force." While the remainder of the details on the character and their background has not been confirmed by Disney, reports claim that Kee is a Comanche woman living at the time of the American Civil War and shunned as she attempts to subvert gender norms and become a warrior.
An asymmetrical multiplayer game, Predator: Hunting Grounds sees one player become the Predator while the other four players attempt to complete a mission as special operations soldiers without falling to the alien. Check out the trailer here.
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"It actually has more akin to The Revenant than it does any film in the Predator canon. You'll know what I mean once you see it," said producer John Fox, however, the two were unable to pin down a time period in the interview. "You can use your imagination. It is... early," added Fox. Personally, I'd be interested in seeing how the two clash - Kee with her knowledge of the environments against the Predator's advanced technology. Although the premise sounds a little out there, it would also be an opportunity to showcase an underrepresented identity on the silver screen in one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises of the last few decades.
The producers are especially enthusiastic about the contributions of writer Patrick Aison and director Dan Trachtenberg, describing the latter's approach as "fresh, cool, and interesting." Skull has just hit the three-quarter mark in its development, yet the tone of the movie hasn't quite been decided. "It all depends on how you end up cutting it, right?" said Davis. "It was conceived as an R-rated movie. It could easily end up PG-13. I guess I'm going to find out what it has to be or what it is when it's all cut together."
Ultimately, the two are happy with the way that things are panning out and hopeful that it resonates with fans of the franchise. "It's going to be, I believe, the second best - or the first... or it may be equal to the first one," claimed Davis. "I feel like the first one was a wonderful, interesting movie and I know what worked about it. I feel like we kind of never got back there again. We ended up in different places. I think this is a worthy complement to the first one. It's going to be as good."
Featured Image Credit: Disney, 20th Century FoxTopics: TV and Film, News