Shane Black's The Predator will act as a soft reboot of the iconic series to introduce it to a whole new generation – but how will it connect with previous movies?

As teased in the trailers for The Predator so far, the story will move the action to an all-new type of dangerous hunting ground - the suburbs. A team of badass soldiers (led by Boyd Holbrook) will face off against a lethal new strain of predators, who are faster and deadlier than past versions. Black has promised the new film will make fans excited for the series once again, but it won't be a total reboot either.

Over the course of its 30-year history, the Predator franchise has built up a fascinating mythology through various sequels, comics, novels and video games. The Predator will build on that history, featuring throwbacks to past adventures while introducing new twists of its own, so let's explore how it connects to series canon.

The Original Predator Continuity Is Weird

Predator 2

The original Predator was based on the high concept idea of an alien hunter coming to earth to hunt the most dangerous prey of all – man. Unfortunately for this alien, the man in question turned out to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, who managed to defeat the creature after an epic battle. The movie didn't reveal much about the titular beast, but subsequent movies would greatly expand the lore.

Predator 2 moved the action to the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, where a new predator stalks victims while being hunted by Danny Glover's cop. The sequel added new toys for the creature and offered a look inside its spaceship, revealing it's hunted alien lifeforms of all kinds – including the Xenomorph itself. The sequel also reveals the hunters have been visiting Earth for centuries, and they take the concept of honor seriously; Glover's cop is allowed to live by the Predator clan after he wins in combat.

Alien Vs Predator featured the clash fans had waited years to see – even though it proved to be a disappointingly tame one. The movie also revealed the Predators were once worshipped as Gods by early man and were responsible for building the pyramids. Alien Vs Predator: Requiem continued the fight in a small American town, while 2010's Predators found a team of human warriors dropped on a Predator game preserve to fight enhanced versions of the iconic hunters.

How The Predator Connects To The Series

Boyd Holbrook in The Predator

While the status of The Predator as either a remake or sequel was ambiguous for a while, it's since been confirmed the film is very much part of the original movies. The canonical status of the Alien Vs Predator was up in the air after the events of Ridley Scott's Alien prequels, but actors Keegan-Michael Key and Olivia Munn have stated The Predator is connected to all "five" previous movies.

Read More: Olivia Munn Says The Predator Doesn't 'Erase' Previous Films

The most direct link to past movies will be actor Jake Busey playing the son of Peter Keyes from Predator 2, who was played in the 1990 sequel by his real-life father Gary Busey. Black also offered a cameo to Arnold Schwarzenegger to reprise his role as Dutch, but the star turned it down because he wanted a more significant part. The story for the new film will reveal the government has known about the hunters for decades too, which will no doubt inform how they react to the Predator ship crash landing.

Where The Predator Will Take The Series

The Predator Trailer

The Predator introduces a new element by revealing the Predators have been hybridizing with other alien species on the various planets they've hunted on. Jake Busey has also revealed the movie will explore the reason the hunters keep returning to Earth - which will apparently act as a shocking reveal.

Black and the cast have also stated The Predator will be much funnier than past movies. and it will combine action and comedy like some of Black's previous work like The Nice Guys. That said, apparently, test audiences were confused by the comedic tone, so reshoots were undertaken recently to make the 3rd act a little more serious and action focused.

Next: The Predator: Every Update You Need To Know

Key Release Dates

  • The Predator 2018 poster
    Predator
    Release Date:
    2018-09-14