One of the most famous pieces of trivia regarding John McTiernan’s action classic Predator was that unknown martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme was hired to play the title character, with the original design for the intergalactic trophy hunter seemingly ideal for someone with his particular set of skills to turn the alien killer into an agile and ninja-like nemesis for the intrepid band of heroes. Show At the time, the Muscles from Brussels only had a handful of feature film credits under his belt, and Predator would have marked his first major Hollywood production, with the movie releasing in theaters eight months before Van Damme’s breakout starring vehicle Bloodsport. However, the costume was hot, heavy and cumbersome, and it was ultimately decided that the actor was too ill-equipped and even too small to play the big bad. As everybody knows, the cast of Predator is positively dripping in testosterone, and the crew were concerned that having the diminutive by comparison Van Damme trying to pose a serious onscreen threat to a hulking ensemble that included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura and Sonny Landham simply wasn’t believable enough, even for a sci-fi actioner. Van Damme ultimately left the project and was replaced by Kevin Peter Hall, who was over a foot and a half taller, while the Predator itself was given an overhaul by designer Stan Winston, with an assist from James Cameron after the Terminator director suggested mandibles. A rare picture of the future action hero under the costume has now been unearthed, though, and you can check it out below.  It’s interesting to think how things might have ended up for Predator and Van Damme’s career in general had the production stuck to its guns, but it worked out pretty well for all parties in the end. One of the coolest pieces of Hollywood trivia is that Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the nearly unstoppable alien hunter in John McTiernan‘s classic sci-fi action horror film Predator (1987). A handful of photos sprinkled across the Web reveal Van Damme in costume, a vastly different version of the Predator than what would eventually end up on screen. It’s well known that the soon-to-be action star left the role, but it’s unclear what the actual truth is behind his exit. After years of silence, Van Damme actually talked about his experience, revealing that he had trouble breathing in the suit and would overheat, just one of the many problems he endured. It’s been a bit of “he says”-“he says”, but actor Bill Duke does corroborate Van Damme’s story that he was set up for failure. “The Predator that you saw was not the original Predator did you know that? The original Predator was a much smaller creature and they were gonna put the special effects on his body in post-production,” Duke tells The Murder Master Music Show. He continues: “He had a stealth suit on and they put him in wires and he flew in the trees with the wires on his back looking like he was flying. He had passed out twice from dehydration. The producer said, ‘If you pass out again I’m gonna fire you!’ Two weeks go by and the guy passes out and the producer goes over and fires him. That person was Jean Claude Van Damme.” McTiernan told a vastly different story on the film’s 30th anniversary, claiming they never even shot anything with Van Damme and that the young actor didn’t understand the visual effects elements of the costume and had fantastical opinions on how he stacked up against the film’s star Arnold Schwarzenegger. As I previously shared over the years, I’ve actually heard from people close to both the Predator and Bloodsport productions that there’s more to it. The other side of the story goes like this: Jean-Claude Van Damme had found out during pre-production that his Bloodsport was financed. The Predator production refused to let him out of his contract, which then caused JCVD to sabotage his role and force them to “fire” him. This lines up a bit with the aforementioned quotes, which allege that JCVD became difficult and angry when he saw the costume design and learned of his role. While it’s impossible to know the true story, we all won because Van Damme’s Bloodsport is a masterpiece that helped spawn “Mortal Kombat” and other fighting games. We were also gifted with gems such as Kickboxer, Lionheart, Universal Soldier, Timecop, and, yes, Sudden Death. Related Topics:Jean Claude Van Dammejohn mctiernanPredator Brad Miska Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year. Continue Reading Advertisement You may like
Click to comment MoviesBloody New ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Image Shows Off the Boomstick!Published on December 19, 2022By John SquiresDirector Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground) brings the Evil Dead franchise back to the big screen on April 21, 2023 with new movie Evil Dead Rise, and another new tease has arrived. Empire shares the exclusive new image from Evil Dead Rise that you’ll find below, and it spotlights two of the franchise’s most iconic elements: a boomstick and a whole lot of blood! Teasing Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin tells Empire: “It straps you onto a rocket that’s fueled by blood. You can either get off or you stay on ’til it explodes.” Gabrielle Echols (Reminiscence), Morgan Davies (The End) and Nell Fisher (Splendid Isolation) will star in the new movie alongside Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan. Here’s the official plot synopsis for Evil Dead Rise… “In the fifth Evil Dead film, a road-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.” Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Robert Tapert are producing Evil Dead Rise. According to Campbell, the three have been “very involved” in the project every step of the way. Campbell, however, will NOT be appearing in the film as Ash Williams. Evil Dead Rise will instead be a brand new movie with brand new characters and a brand new storyline. Who wore the first Predator suit?"The Last Starfighter" director Nick Castle became a horror legend when he first donned the white mask of Michael Myers in John Carpenter's "Halloween," and stuntman Kane Hodder became synonymous with Jason Voorhees after playing the hockey-mask wearing slasher in four "Friday the 13th" films.
Was JeanWarner Bros. A footnote in the career of martial artist and action-movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme is that he was originally cast to play the titular alien in the 1987 sci-fi action-horror film "Predator" before he was unceremoniously canned and replaced by the late Kevin Peter Hall.
Who wore the Predator suit in prey?Prey Actor, 6'9," Talks Losing A Bunch Of Weight And The Wild Workout Routine He Did To Play The Predator. The man in the Predator costume, Dane DiLiegro, went through a lot to play the monster in Prey. The newest entry in the Predator film franchise, Hulu's Prey is getting a lot of praise.
What was the Predator originally going to look like?The Predator was originally designed with a long neck, a dog-like head, and a single eye. This design was abandoned when it became apparent that the jungle locations would make shooting the complex design too difficult.
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Who was in the original Predator suit?
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