Development

The film was produced by Robert Rodriguez, and written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch. In 1994, Rodriguez wrote an early script for the film for 20th Century Fox while he was working on Desperado.

Rodriguez presented the script to the studio, but was denied when they realized that the budget would be too large. 15 years later, the studio decided to go with his script.

It's the story from that script I had written way back then. They had hired me to write a Predator story while I was waiting to do Desperado back in 1995.

It was crazy, this thing I came up with. So then fast-forward to now and, like, six months ago, they found the script and called me up. 'Hey, we want to redo this franchise and we found your old script.

This is where we should have gone with the series! We want to move forward.' And that's what we're doing.

In 2009, 20th Century Fox studio executive, Alex Young, called Rodriguez to consider using his treatment to revive the individual Predator franchise.

The film was produced at Rodriguez's Troublemaker Studios as opposed to 20th Century Fox so that Rodriguez had more creative control over the film.

It was originally thought that Robert Rodriguez would direct, but on July 1, 2009, Nimr�d Antal was officially signed on to direct.

Rodriguez and Antal have expressed that they wanted this film to be a sequel only to the original Predator (while not necessarily discounting Predator 2), as the film is trying to distance itself from the two Alien vs. Predator films.

Antal stated the reasoning behind the decision to dismiss the Alien vs Predator films was that he wanted the film to be closer in tone to the original Predator film, as the AVP films had taken the Predator series in a too outlandish direction.

Elizabeth Avellan, Producer: "We ended up doing something a little backwards for locations guys. We sent a Texan to Hawaii to find the locations, because he knows what's here that can match.

So we sent Logan out there to find things that could look other-worldly, but then could be brought this way, and along with things we could build to make it happen."

Excerpts and References:
wikipedia.org, imdb.com

Isabelle turns to the group.

ISABELLE: Look, we can get some ropes from one of the chutes.

EDWIN: Do something!

Royce shoots the parachute ropes and branch, Edwin drops into a creek.

Isabelle gives Royce a look.

ROYCE: Taking too long.

Edwin in the water, is hollering for help, then realizes it's no deeper than up to his waist.

STANS: Who the hell are you?

EDWIN: I'm a doctor. I was on my way to work. . . Can someone please just tell me . . . what the fuck is going on here?

As they move on, Isabelle pauses and turns back to Stans. Stans freezes and blurts out . . . .

STANS: Your ass is awesome.

She rolls her eyes and moves on.

Traveling further through the jungle, they finally see Hanzo.

MOMBASA: Look.

STANS: Got damn, who the hell is this guy?

Motionless, he's staring at a bizarre site, a structure unknown to them with skulls and bones at the base.

ROYCE: What the hell is that?

ISABELLE: Who would do this?

MOMBASA: Whoever they are, they take trophies. In my culture, the warrior with the greatest trophies command the most respect.

STANS: Whatever.

NIKOLAI: It's a test. To see how we do under pressure.

ISABELLE: If this were a test, you would all be military, total strangers. Something else.

CUCHILLO: Maybe it's ransom. Back in Tijuana, we kidnap you, put you in the wardrobe. If the ransom is not paid, we light you on fire.

STANS: I hear these stories about these experiments they run on Cons. They stick drugs in your food and they sit back and watch what happens.

EDWIN: It's not drugs. If it was a psycho-tropic compound, we would be feeling residual side effects, loss of motor skills, blurry vision. And if it was a behavioral experiment, I mean there would be a point.

MOMBASA: What if we are dead?

STANS: I was going to be executed

NIKOLAI: And I was in combat.

MOMBASA: So was I.

CUCHILLO: This is hell.

Royce scoffs at the notion . . .

ROYCE: Last time I looked, you didn't need a parachute to get there. . . Look, it doesn't matter what happened . . . or why . . . we're here. The only question is, how do we get out.

Royce heads off.

ISABELLE: Where are you going?

ROYCE: To high ground.

ISABELLE: We should stick together.

ROYCE: Then you should be following me.

Nikolai notices an exotic plant, he stops to reach for it.

EDWIN: Uh yea, I wouldn't do that.

Edwin pulls out a folding scalpel from a small pouch and dips it into the plant, pulling back a sample of thick liquid.

EDWIN: Yup, Arcostructus Leonagensus. That is really, really poisonous. It wouldn't take more than one scratch, cause total paralysis.

NIKOLAI: Thank you, I'll watch for you out here.

ISABELLE: You made a buddy.