Predator it was going to become the sequel to another film Arnoldo Schwarzenegger.
In 1987, under the direction of John McTiernanthe movie is out Predatorhero Arnoldo Schwarzeneggerin which a group of special forces, with the largest Alan “Dutch” Schaefer They are sent on a rescue mission to the front, although in reality it is a CIA ploy to cover the destruction of a rebel camp. After completing the task, the team members realize that they are being stalked by someone who begins to eliminate them one by one. The attacker is not from this world, but from an extraterrestrial creature that lives to hunt.
The success of the film, in addition to encouraging the transition to other media, such as comics or video games, has led to the appearance, to date, of a total of three sequels, with the titles Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010) e Predator (2018), as well as a prequel, known as Prey (2022), and two feature films in which these beings intersect with the alien creatures protagonists of the xenomorph series, namely Alien versus predator (2004) e Alien vs. Predator 2 (2007). In case there are any doubts about this, Arnold Schwarzenegger He doesn’t appear in any of them.
However, before that it became the first part of the franchise (although, of course, it became the second after the premiere). Prey), the film Predator it was almost considered a sequel to another film by Arnold Schwarzeneggerpublished in 1985, under the title Command.
In this movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger He too was part of the special forces, although, in this case, as a former colonel. Name lowered Giovanni Matricethe protagonist must return to action when he discovers that his former colleagues are being murdered one by one and that those responsible for these crimes have also kidnapped his daughter. Jenny.
Whereas the film Command is directed by Sign. L. LesterRather John McTiernanwhich has a slightly more realistic tone, given that no extraterrestrial beings appear anywhere, and which one Arnold Schwarzenegger has a different name and rank, it seems unlikely that the film could be considered a prequel Predator. However, if you continue reading the article to the end, you will be able to see how any doubts in this regard are resolved.
Maybe the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger Sporting a similar look in both films isn’t too revealing, given that only two years passed between filming one and the other. Likewise, the fact that he belongs to the special forces does not say much, since being a former colonel is not the same as being a major. However, the inescapable proof that this was the plan is found in the original draft, in which the film was shot Predator appears under the name of Command 2.
What then was the reason why the film about the extraterrestrial creature did not appear as a sequel to the one shot two years earlier? The answer is that, at the time, it was believed that sequels did not generate as much box office revenue as original feature films, since in the case of the franchise Star Wars it was considered an exception, which is why they preferred not to risk it and changed some nuances of the plot Command Yes Predator They could work as independent films.
Since we already know that time eventually took away the reason for this idea, sequels to successful films began to proliferate some time after this decision was made, as in the case of the film itself. Predator 2 or of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), also the protagonist Arnold Schwarzenegger. But there was no going back, so things remained as they were.
If we stop to think about it for a moment, things could have turned out very differently if that was the original idea Predator became the sequel to Command. It’s possible that these alien creatures would never have made it past that film nor would they have ever crossed the path of the xenomorphs. Following the same theory, franchising Command I could have continued with new adventures Giovanni Matricealways played by Arnold SchwarzeneggerObviously.
If you didn’t know this information, chances are the next time you watch the movies Command or Predator Don’t look at them with the same eyes. As in everything, even in this case, there will be those who would have preferred to leave the aliens aside and continue the saga with new adventures with the current former governor of California. However, today no one is able to imagine the world of science fiction cinema without it Predators.