Early Draft of Shane Black & Fred Dekker’s THE PREDATOR Surfaces Online

There was a point in time when Shane Black’s The Predator (which he co-wrote with Fred Dekker) was slated for release in early 2017. But after atrocious test screenings, they went back to the drawing board and re-filmed the entire third act (which is why the film didn’t actually hit theaters until last September, 2018).

Related Article: “You Are One Ugly Mother…” THE PREDATOR Gets the “Honest Trailer” Treatment

Though it has long been making the rounds among those who traffic in confidential screenplays, an early draft of The Predator is now available online courtesy of our friends at AVPGalaxy.net. It’s an amazing window into what could have been, including insight into Edward James Olmos’ character, General Woodhurst, who was completely chopped out of the film’s final cut.

Related Article: Unused Prop from THE PREDATOR Reveals ALIEN-Inspired Facehugger Mask

Most importantly, it confirms that there was indeed a planned return for “Dutch” Schaefer (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987). It’s a really small part, which aligns with Schwarzenegger’s past comments that it wasn’t really worth his time and effort. It still would have been cool, though, and just about anything would have been better than the Iron Man ending Shane and Dekker ultimately went with.

Read the scrip and even download a copy for yourself, HERE.

If you missed The Predator when it was in theaters, it’s now available on Blu-ray/DVD and VOD. Check out the synopsis and trailer below.

Synopsis:
From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biologist can prevent the end of the human race.

The film’s sizable ensemble cast includes Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, and Olivia Munn.

What do you think of the early draft of Black and Dekker’s screenplay for The Predator? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Tags:

Categorized:

Sign up for The Harbinger a Dread Central Newsletter