The movie, Predator, was a massive hit. You wouldn’t think that it all started because of a joke!
Following the success of the last installment of the Rocky movies, a jape was running rampant in Hollywood. People were saying that since Rocky Balboa has succeeded in battling against every earthly rival, he would have to take up combat against an alien if they wanted a fifth installment of the series. And the screenwriters took it seriously.
Jim and John Thomas wrote the script for Predator in 1985, which was originally entitled Hunter, and handed it over to 20th Century Fox and producer Joel Silver. Silver and Gordon immediately approached Arnold Schwarzenegger for the lead role, who didn’t exactly take to the idea at first.
“Predator was one of the scripts I read, and it bothered me in one way. It was just me and the alien. So we re-did the whole thing so that it was a team of commandos and then I liked the idea. I thought it would make a much more effective movie and be much more believable. I liked the idea of starting out with an action-adventure, but then coming in with some horror and science fiction.”
Who could have known that Predator would become so huge, becoming its own trilogy with two crossover movies under its belt, and garnering a near cult-like following by die-hard fans? The reality is that this entire series stemmed from a jest, which could have turned into a huge failure. But this failed joke became a success!