Nimrod Antal Talks 'Predators'

In a interview with canmag.com, Nimrod Antal talks about resurrecting the Predator in 'Predators'.

Nimrod Antal Directs Some Predators

“I think the hunt, and suspense, trying to take it back to what works in classic horror films and trying to keep the monster in the shadows as opposed to throwing him in your face right off the bat,” Antal said in a press conference at the South by Southwest film festival. “I think if you look at the timeline on the first film, you have I think 40 minutes into the film was the first time you see the cloaked Predator. So I think we concentrated in trying to bring that back into it, and I think we were successful.”

Of course, now they can’t wait another 40 minutes to reveal Predaotr. “No, and we don’t. We handle it a little bit differently, and you’re introduced to something early on.”

Clearly a well-versed Predator fan, Antal wanted to make a serious Predators movie, but not without fun. “I think we had a balance. Clearly we wanted to concentrate on what the original film had brought and given, and I think that was the direction we were thinking of, but that said there are some hilarious moments in the film, really hilarious stuff. One of our actors, Walton Goggins, was just a blessing to have because you can have stuff written but he would improvise stuff, and I can’t do it justice for you guys. You have to see it. but there’s three or four beats where you’ll be laughing.”


Predators will be an old school Predator movie too, not like the increasing effects of the sequels and spinoffs. “I think we set out to make as much practical as we could, given that was the charm of the original, and we were able to do it. There are a few moments of course and a few beats where we’re going to have to accentuate it with CG, but we tried to stay as true to the original as far as approaching it practically as we could.”

20th Century Fox pretty much stood out of Antal’s way. They knew their bad boy was in good hands. “I think that tactic, and that was a tactic on their part, was the best way to approach it. Because when you have someone on your neck the whole time and telling you this and this, you get to a point where you say, ‘Listen, what do you want me to do?’ But in this case, the fact that they had entrusted us with this project, it made me at least feel like I wanted to work even more, because now I can’t say that well, the studio came down with a mandate. So it was really a positive environment for me and as far as creatively, it was just great.”