In 1987, “Predator” introduced one of the most enduring and popular characters in sci-fi film history — an extraterrestrial warrior whose superhuman-like abilities and unfathomable technology allowed it to wreak havoc in the jungle. Now, 23 years later, director Nimrod Antal, along with writer and producer Robert Rodriguez, are hoping to dazzle audiences with a remake they say will remind the audience of the original.

“Predators” — signaling that there are multiple creatures this time around — stars Oscar-winner Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who leads a group of elite warriors that have been brought together on an alien planet to be hunted like prey. With the exclusion of a shamed physician, they are all cold-blooded murderers — mercenaries, convicts and death squad members. In its first two weeks, the film collected about $40 million at the box office.

Sixteen years ago, Rodriguez was approached by 20th Century Fox to write a script for the film. Rodriguez, who is a fan of the original, knew he wanted the setting to appear to be off the planet Earth and out of its jungles. By placing the characters on another planet, he said, a similar environment could be created, while also giving it a new feel. Also by doing this, Rodriguez said he would give audiences insight as to why the Predator was attracted to the Earth’s jungle; that being because of its familiar terrain.

“The idea with ‘Predators’ was to not make it feel like it is the fifth or sixth movie in a series, but the first,” Rodriguez said. “This isn’t a reboot or re-imagining. Chronologically, you could see this right after the first ‘Predator’ film and have a clear through-line of story. ... I knew I wanted to go back to a character-based movie. And it was very important to me that each character feel like he or she could be a star of his or her own film. And if you saw our picture without having seen the other, that would work, too.”

Rodriguez’s ambiguous nature and license to explore led him to throw in whatever innovative ideas he had. And he did so without considering budget restraints or logistics. He figured he would leave it up to production to figure it out. But it came back to haunt him years later — after the script was somehow lost then dug up — when he had to take a more hands-on approach.

Due to a packed schedule, Rodriguez came back to the project as a producer and worked with new writers to update the script and hired a director — Antal, also a big fan of the original film — who would be charged with collaborating with the group to make his ideas come to life.

What’s different about this film, Antal said, is that it provides a certain discomfort for the characters, who were used to being human predators on earth but are now the prey. And with a different environment, they have no idea what to make of their circumstance.

“There were a lot of things that we wanted to incorporate,” Antal said. “One was bringing back old-school hunting techniques, like driving and flushing. We also wanted to bring back the jungle and make sure that was a character in itself, something that would be threatening. We also used lighting. We didn’t want this place where you want to get a margarita and hang back. We wanted a threatening location where a simple image would feel threatening.”

The film was shot in Hawaii, before making its way back to Austin-based Troublemaker Studios, where the jungle-like terrain was created. The cast had more to think about than their lines and embodying their characters; they also had to worry about the weather.

While in Hawaii, temperatures reached 95 degrees, coupled with high humidity. The biggest predators that never made it into the film, according to the cast, were the mosquitos. Then after making their way back to Austin, warm weather only persisted for two days before dropping down to as low as 30 degrees. And because they had to present a wet environment, the cast was sprayed down with water before every shot. To say the least, it was both physically and emotionally challenging.

“There is more to it than physical abilities,” said Brody, who lifted heavy weights to beef up for the part. “It is always surprising to me how much of an emotional and psychological transformation ensues with the physical transformation. It was one I also experienced with ‘The Pianist.’ I restricted my diet in a way and my lifestyle in an effort to harness everything I had in my power to be ferocious and keep that contained.”

Brody said he also used books on Eastern philosophy to help him cope with the mental and physical transformation and to control his inner and outer self.
When all is said and done, “their journey brings out their humanity,” Antal said.
As for another future Predator, Antal and Rodriguez want to keep everyone guessing.

But, in the realm of science fiction where characters are thought to have died only to come back to life, anything is possible.