October 24th, 1979
*Smack*
"Fucking mosquitos," Carl Weathers said.
"I think they like you," Arnold told him.
"Fuck you too," Carl said.
Luckily, James was able to get these two actors for the film. It was in between Carl's filming of Rocky II and Rocky III, with him barely being able to fit this movie in. He was going to film Death Hunt, but with the promise of more money, and this movie seemingly going to be more popular, he opted into this one.
Arnold also wasn't as famous as when the original Predator was made, so they got a way better deal. Edward was very thankful as he was responsible for negotiating contracts.
James' main priority was getting as many scenes done as quickly as possible.
He went over multiple scenes numerous times with the camera crew, ensuring that they knew exactly how to film each scene. He also made sure that the actors were aware of how they needed to move for each scene, as he did not want any accidents to occur.
Even before they officially did any of the filmings he addressed everyone working on set.
"Listen, everyone needs to be very careful and mindful of even every step that they take. This jungle is very dangerous, and the ground isn't exactly flat. There are going to be many sorts of branches, roots, rocks, thorns, and mud that will surely hurt someone. Everyone is going to come away with some sort of scratch or bruise while in this jungle, but let's hope to minimize everything as much as possible. Even looking at the terrain now, there are many hills and uneven terrain, it's going to be a hassle to even move, later on, so please just only move with purpose while on set. And, I will try to film as fast as possible so we can get out of this shithole."
James was hoping to set the tone with that short monologue, but still, accidents were bound to happen.
The film crew had already filmed the opening scene of the movie. James made sure to include the iconic clasping of the hands between Arnold and Carl. The only thing that James decided to change was the dialogue. He decided to go with a less is more approach. Arnold's English wasn't the best, so many scenes with him in it were awkward. One-word responses were enough to make him look like a badass but to fill in the empty space, James gave Carl more lines.
James also didn't like the filming style that they used for this film. He decided to use the more cinematic version that "Predators" used in 2010 with Adrian Brody. A lot of the soundtrack used was also the same 1980s funky music that every action movie used.
James thought that the more suspense and anticipation were built up, the better the climax would be. So, as soon as the soldiers landed in the jungle, they would be quiet, very discreet, and a no-nonsense type of crew.
This would contrast their tough exterior with their increased dread, making it feel more real when they faced the Yautja, showing how humans all felt the same when faced with the unknown.
James also wanted to show the experience and tracking skills of the soldiers a lot more in this movie. He wanted the audience to see that this group was meant to survive the harshest situations so that when they were slowly picked off by the Predator, it would show off its abilities even more.
The closeness and teamwork would be an essential theme of the movie, where they would try various ways to track and take down the Yautja, only to be foiled every time.
Their first encounter with the Yautja would leave them paranoid about the possibility of guerilla warfare, but after their second encounter, they would slowly grow more paranoid at the invisible threat.
Their first attempt to take down the Yautja would result in endless shooting into the forest.
Then the crew would try to lay down tripwire, only for the Yautja to easily bypass it. This would alert the crew to the Yautja's hunting skills and ability to traverse the trees.
Their second attempt to catch the Yautja would result in some success, but it would still manage to elude them and kill many of their crew. Although, this would lead to Arnold's major discovery of being able to hide from the infrared vision of the Yautja using mud from a river he fell into.
Finally, it would be the memorable cat and mouse battle between it and Arnold. This would hopefully be just as extraordinary for everyone as it had been for James when he first saw the movie.
-----------------------------
January 25th, 1979
"Welp, with that, it's officially the last shot. Thank you everyone for your patience and resilience. Congratulations on the film's completion!" James told the crew.
"Yay!"
"Now, let's all go home!" James finished.
"YAY!!!!"
--------------------------------
Once everyone was safely back at the studio, James got to work finishing up the editing of the whole movie. He couldn't wait to get done with it, so he could get his fat paycheck. The thought of money filled up James' mind so much that he was able to push through editing well into the night.
Edward and John seemed to be worried about him not taking any breaks, but they also wanted the movie to be out as soon as possible. Especially John, who was getting very nervous about getting John to direct, with the board constantly hounding him about his progress. He was also very worried about the fact that James finished as fast as he did because he thought he cut corners just so he could get an easy paycheck. It made John think that he made a bad decision and didn't think it through enough.
But, at last, a month and a half later, James told Edward that the final cut had been completed.
The studio's investors and producers were all made to watch the final cut, with most being satisfied at James' work. Many were even beyond impressed as some of the filming techniques seemed sophisticated and beyond what most people in the 80s were used to. It even seemed that James was on par with Spielberg. Although that was a bit of a stretch, the investors were still impressed.
When James heard the good news a week later, he asked Edward if he could get his paycheck early. John consulted the board on this and surprisingly they agreed, wanting to get in James' good graces. They felt, especially after speaking to their consultants who saw the movie, that "Predator" was bound to earn a profit with a sufficient amount of advertising.
Everyone, including staff and actors, seemed to be satisfied with the work after a small screening was held.