Alien vs. Predator

Did You Know?

• An unreleased animated series titled Aliens vs. Predator: Annihilation, directed by Shinji Aramaki, was produced for Netflix before Disney's acquisition of Fox.
• The first film's pyramid is located on Bouvetøya, an island about one thousand miles north of Antarctica.

Premise

The franchise depicts deadly encounters between humanity and two extraterrestrial species: the Xenomorphs, endoparasitoid creatures, and the Yautjas, technologically advanced hunters. The series is set in the present day of the 21st century, with both films taking place in 2004 and the second film immediately after the first. It acts as a spin-off and prequel to the Alien franchise, showing how encounters with these life forms shaped human civilization, technology, and weaponry seen in the future Alien series. The forerunners of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation appear as Weyland Industries, headed by Charles Bishop Weyland, and the Yutani Corporation, headed by Ms. Cullen Yutani. Amidst corporate actions, human characters survive Xenomorph infestations and clashes with Yautjas, leading to the eventual merger of the two companies and the development of interstellar travel.

Background

The first Alien vs. Predator story was published by Dark Horse Comics in Dark Horse Presents #34–36 from November 1989 to February 1990, leading to The Machiko Noguchi Saga. Predator 2 (1990) included an Alien skull as a Predator trophy. Fox pursued a cinematic adaptation, and Peter Briggs wrote an early script titled The Hunt: Alien vs. Predator in 1994, but it was rejected. Development remained in development hell until the first film, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, was released in 2004, followed by a sequel by the Brothers Strause in 2007. Ellen Ripley does not appear, as the franchise takes place more than a century before the Alien series. Lance Henriksen was the first actor cast for Alien vs. Predator, playing Charles Bishop Weyland, tying into the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Henriksen later returned as Karl Bishop Weyland in the 2010 video game Aliens vs. Predator.

Films

The first film, Alien vs. Predator (2004), was directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. In it, a Predator mothership draws humans to an ancient Predator training ground on Bouvetøya island. A buried pyramid attracts a group led by Charles Bishop Weyland, who unknowingly activates an Alien egg production line. The Alien Queen is defeated but fatally wounds the Predator; the Predator mothership retrieves the fallen Predator, and a Predalien hybrid is born. The sequel, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), was directed by Greg and Colin Strause. The duology has received a negative critical response, with criticism focusing on plot, lighting, and editing, scoring 29 out of 100 on Metacritic.

Other media

Numerous spin-offs exist, including novelizations of the films. The Machiko Noguchi Saga includes novels Aliens vs. Predator: Prey (1994) by Steve Perry, Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet (1994) by Dave Bischoff, and Aliens vs. Predator: War (1999) by S.D. Perry, collected in The Complete Aliens vs. Predator Omnibus (2016). Other novels include Alien vs. Predator: The Movie Novelization (2004) by Marc Cerasini and Alien vs. Predator: Armageddon (2016) by Tim Lebbon.

Dark Horse Comics published various lines starring Machiko Noguchi, and the Fire and Stone (2014–2015) and Life and Death (2016–2017) series cross over with Prometheus. Marvel Comics acquired the comic book rights in 2020. Other books include works by Amalgamated Dynamics Incorporated, such as Alien vs. Predator: The Creature Effects of ADI (2004). Video games include the 1993 beat 'em up Alien vs. Predator and the Game Boy version Alien vs. Predator: The Last of His Clan.