Audiences Divided Over The Predator’s First Test Screenings

20th Century Fox is beginning to court The Predator out of hiding.

Nine months ahead of release, and exactly 30 years since the launch of John McTiernan’s cult classic, the Powers That Be have begun hosting test screenings for Shane Black’s starry reboot. And let’s just say that early reactions are all over the place.

As reported by MovieWeb, prominent YouTuber ‘Mr H Reviews‘ posted a video concerning these leaked previews, though it’s since been pulled offline. With that in mind, and before we get into the nitty-gritty, we should stress that Fox’s screenings were allegedly held in secret, so there’s no way of telling if these knee-jerk reactions are legitimate.

Nevertheless, they do make for interesting reading, with many admitting that it took some time to adjust to The Predator‘s comedic leanings. This is a Shane Black gig, after all.

Just last week, test screenings began, which there have been some leaks surrounding those surfacing online, with many people saying they loved it. Took a while to get used to the fact that a Predator movie was comedic. But also there were some reports from those who were in the test audience that they hated it, to avoid it at all costs and that the movie was a heavy, far-flung departure from what was established.

But while some viewers enjoyed the departure from McTiernan’s original, others “hated” The Predator‘s initial cut because it deviated from the old-school science fiction that made the first film so special. Take that with a grain of salt, of course, as Shane Black and Co. are still in the process of post-production.

What we do know, though, is that Fox’s R-rated reboot will feature multiple Predators, as they descend on a quiet suburban setting baying for blood.

They’re going to take that bus, drive it down to a ditch and shoot us all just to get rid of this one guy. But, of course, we take the bus over. We’re all like, ‘Let’s go kill these f***ing Predators ourselves!’ And we’re just crazy enough to believe that this guy really did see a UFO and there’s these aliens out there. So that’s kinda cool!

Twice delayed, The Predator will remain cloaked under an invisibility system until August 3rd, 2018. And only then will we be able to form a clear opinion on Shane Black’s starry reboot.