Having made a few movies myself, I’ve softened my stance on the use of CGI in horror films. Let me explain…
Sure, there’s a lot of CGI in genre films like looks like absolute crap – take the Thing and Fright Night remakes for example – but there’s also a lot that looks incredible. My proof? There are times you wouldn’t even notice a shot is CGI. Seriously, for every disastrous use of digital blood in a film, there’s one that’s so good your eyes can’t even tell it’s fake.
With that said, I do prefer that as much as possible get done with the use of practical effects. I like knowing that the actors are interacting directly with the effect, and it’s also more tangible looking onscreen. The slight imperfections are what actually help pass the eye test.
Now filming in Vancouver is Shane Black’s The Predator, which has a lot of people speculating as to whether or not there will be an actor in a suit or if Black will be using mo-cap like with Marvel’s Iron Man 3 (even if he did, it looks incredible, again proving not all CGI is bad). Well, Black took to Twitter to confirm that the Predator will actually be a man-in-suit:
I am standing on set next to a 7-foot tall gentleman in a Predator suit — so no, it is not all CGI.
— Shane Black (@BonafideBlack) April 23, 2017
[Related] The Predator Will Have a “Wicked Sense of Humor”
Some Predator trivia reveals that action star Jean Claude Van Damme was the original to don the Predator suit in John McTiernan’s 1987 film. He was eventually replaced (allegedly fired as he found financing for his 80’s action classic Bloodsport) by Kevin Peter Hall.
Edward James Olmos recently joined the Predator cast, which includes Boyd Holbrook, Room breakout Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Trevante Rhodes, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Yvonne Strahovski and Olivia Munn. Jake Busey also has a role, following in his father’s footsteps.
The movie once again features unsuspecting humans who slowly realize that fierce hunter-aliens are in their midst, this time in what could be a suburban setting.
Black is directing from a script he co-wrote with Fred Dekker. Fox will hunt The Predator on August 3, 2018.
[Related] Here’s Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Won’t Appear in The Predator
