Predator Skulls: 10 Mistakes It Needs To Avoid
4. Don't Forget to Make Us Care
One reason the original movie has endured for decades as a cult classic is because John McTiernan took the time to make us care about Dutch's team before the slaughter begins. While most of the ensemble consists of stock character types like the meathead, the tracker and the nerd, the cast imbued these archetypes with personalities that left an impression, making their inevitable demise more impactful.
Predator 2 also assembled memorable characters to help Danny Glover in his battle against the inhuman hunter with Bill Paxton being particularly memorable. On the other hand Predators' team of victims consisted primarily of ill-advised stereotypes while Shane Black's crew of PTSD suffering ex-marines came across as simply obnoxious.
In July, Predator Skulls producer John Davis revealed that the new film will be led by a trio of actresses. Trachtenberg would do well to recreate some of the same laid-back camaraderie that made the first cast so memorable. If he can make the characters likeable while at the same time convincing us that they are real people with some history together, then his movie might resonant in the same way the original did.