A sci-fi showdown of one of pop culture’s most iconic Alien. I worked on early designs at StudioADI, while the script has been written. I was tasked to produce designs for the Emissaries, the Upgrade and the Predator Dogs.
Emissaries
Initially the Emissaries were supposed to be the intellectual class of the Predator’s home world. (They are not hunters and don't wear armor.) They had to be brainier, leaner of frame and less aggressive looking than the big Hunter/warrior Predators.
I thought this was a great opportunity to come up with a different looking Predator design. I gave them a more domed forehead and a bony face.
I also bundled the dreadlocks together, which gave the head the shape of a Xenomorph. The black leather cape made it look more like a higher class citizen.
The goal was to add some clues of their culture into the outfits. Another idea was that these type of Predators would be scientists that build the tech for the warrior Predators. I experimented with a few different outfits, based on the notes that were given to me.
My first designs looked a bit too far off from what we think of as a Predator, so I adjusted the face and body closer to the original.
The brief I received also stated that I should give them trousers and lean the outfit designs closer to roman gladiators.
Tom Woodruff suggested to make parts of their clothing translucent, like milky plastic or frosted vinyl, to show the predator’s skin patterns.
Emissaries 3D Model
3D Maquette, showing the difference between a young Emissary and an old Emissary.
Turntable of the 3D Maquette.
Upgrade Predator
In the initial script, the Upgrade was a hybrid between human and Predator. (Because, as it turns out, the Predators admire the human capacity for dealing death.)
I thought that was a great opportunity to design a new species that haven’t been seen in the movie series yet.
Unfortunately, like the Emissaries, I had to stay close to the original Predator design. This was frustrating because I had many ideas in mind that I couldn’t explore. I personally felt it was a missed opportunity.
The production felt that my first sketch was too far-fetched and wanted the Upgrade to look more like the original Predator from the first film, but with slightly altered traits.
So the challenge was to come up with a new look that was still reminiscent of the original. I experimented with a few different versions and shapes.
The Upgrade was described as a 12 foot tall next gen Predator. He needed to look bigger, more cunning and more lethal than the other Predators.
I gave him a few human traits, like thin body hairs and more human looking teeth. Strong neck tendons made the design look more aggressive. I also added little ears and imagined him with a very pale skin tone.
Constantine Sekeris proceeded to work on the Ugrade and added his spin on it.
Predator Dogs
The dogs are about 6' tall Attack/Hunting creatures that work with the Preds. They had to look vicious, powerful and cunning. Unfortunately I only had about two days to work on them due to the limited time frame.
Bryan Wynia was the one who hit on the final design.
