On the day I introduce my 11-year-old son to the original Arnold Schwarzenegger classic Predator, I find out about a Kickstarter campaign that financed the “best possible Predator short film, with the production of a Hollywood Blockbuster.” The fan-fiction film, Predator: Dark Ages, pits the title alien hunter against the”¦ Knights Templar? The short film is a prequel/sequel to John McTiernan’s original 1987 sci-action classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. There have been two feature-length sequels as well as two crossovers with the Alien franchise.

Check out the videos here below which a recently release trailer, as well as videos with director James Bushe and director of photography Simon Rowling discussing their movie and Kickstarter campaign.

The trailer depicts a group of weary knights returning from war, who are set upon by the Predator. The budget is obviously there as the Predator (Phil Lane) looks great and the actors certainly are dressed the part. For those giggling at the idea of the hunters fighting knights, keep in mind that they have established the backstories to extend back in time in the previous films. Bushe and Rowling cover how in Predator 2 we see Danny Glover tossed a revolutionary war-era gun, and in flashbacks in AVP: Alien vs. Predator, we see the Predators standing over the remains of Aztec-style pyramid temples. How sword carrying knights would handle the Predator’s futuristic technology; that’s another question.

From James Bushe’s film page:

PREDATOR DARK AGES is a fan film currently in development combining one of my favorite films with one of my favorite genres.

Set during the Crusades, the faith & fighting skills of a group of Templar Knights is put to the test when they encounter the Predator.

Predator: Dark Ages is a short fan film that follows a group of Templar Knights that are charged with hunting down a “Demon” that plagues the countryside. Their battle with the Predator is the thing Myths and Legends are born from.

The duo has surpassed their crowdfunding goal of £5,000 (about $7,315), so the trailer is made and according to the last update on their Kickstarter page, they are in the midst of post production. The film will premiere at Comic-Con in London this May.

I cannot wait to see this!

Videos

Predator Dark Ages Kickstarter Video

This is our video we created for our Predator Dark Ages kickstarter campaign.

PREDATOR: Dark Ages TRAILER!!

New teaser trailer to the upcoming short fan film PREDATOR: Dark Ages.

Predator Dark Ages Teaser Trailer

Teaser trailer to the upcoming short fan film PREDATOR: Dark Ages.