Making More Weapons for Predator 2
What makes Predator different from the standard movie monster is his mastery of WEAPONS. Tribal though his garb and culture may be, he possesses a sophisticated arsenal of weaponry designed to hunt you down and kill you in a variety of ways: plasma cannon, wrist blades, net launcher, and remote detonator. Just to name a few.
Jump To Section
- The Predator Team Takes On Predator 2
- Adding to the Predator’s Arsenal
- Making the Combi-Stick and the Disc
- Building the Disc
- Creating the Combi-Stick
The Predator Team Takes On Predator 2
When Stan Winston Studio began work on Predator 2, the urban jungle follow-up to the iconic original, Stan and his crew were tasked with bringing back many of the familiar elements they'd created for the original film: Predator's ornate tribal appearance, his bio mask with infrared vision and his articulated mandibles.
Adding to the Predator’s Arsenal
However, director Stephen Hopkins had a few ideas for making this new predator different from the first. For one, to fit with the more colorful urban setting of the sequel, he wanted a more colorful Predator. His second change was simple: more weapons.
(Predator 2 weapons cache at Stan Winston Studio: Wrist Gauntlets and Discs.)
Making the Combi-Stick and the Disc
Stan and his team were more than happy to oblige and set about designing a variety of new killing implements, staying mindful of the approach they had taken in the first film: Predator's weapons were sophisticated & deadly, but they were tribal in appearance. Old meets new. So, Winston had his artists riff on more traditional weaponry: spears, knives, and blades.
Two of those weapons, both designed and created by Stan Winston Studio for Predator 2, are the "Combi-Stick" and "The Disc," aka "The Smart Disc."
Below you'll find behind-the-scenes images from Stan Winston Studio (and a bit of trivia) about both weapons. Understanding the tools of Predator culture means understanding Predators a little better.
-Matt Winston
Building the Disc
(Stan Winston Studio concept designer Mark “Crash” McCreery’s sketches illustrating how to grip the Predator fighting disc, aka “The Disc.”)
USE: The fighting disc, aka "The DISC," is a multi-purpose killing implement that can either be thrown at prey like a boomerang or gripped and used as a slashing melee weapon.
(Hero “Disc” from Predator 2. Stan Winston Studio built multiple fighting disks, from hero versions that opened and lit up to simpler stunt versions.)
MENTAL CONTROL IN FLIGHT: "The Disc' is mentally controlled by the "Disc Master" Predator who throws it. The disc's razor sharpness allows it to maintain flight even after slicing through a foe, allowing it to dispatch multiple enemies with one throw.
Creating the Combi-Stick
(Stan Winston Studio Concept Designer Mark “Crash” McCreery’s detailed concept design for the Predator’s telescoping spear, aka “Combi-Stick.”)
PRIZED POSSESSION: The Combi-Stick is perhaps the most important weapon for any Predator as it is only bestowed after all training is finished and the Yautja is blessed to go on their first hunt. Predators use their combi-sticks not only as deadly weaponry but as a memorial staff, decorating it with skulls, symbols & mementos from a lifetime of hunting. More than any other weapon in the Predator arsenal, the "combi-stick" is truly a part of each Predator that possesses one.
(Hero Predator spear. SWS built several variations of the spear — hero, stunt, and telescoping.)
TRIVIA: The combi-stick prop used in Predator 2 went missing after production of the film. Its whereabouts are unknown.
Courses with the Creators of Predator 2
- Special Effects Sequence Design with Shane Mahan
- Hybrid Characters: Blending Practical & Digital FX with John Rosengrant
- Animatronics Design Basics with Richard Landon
- Cable Mechanism Basics - Tentacles with Richard Landon
- How To Sculpt A Character Makeup with Bruce Spaulding Fuller
- How To Make A Zombie Horde On A Budget with Bruce Spaulding Fuller
- Creature Design - How To Sculpt Character Maquettes with Jordu Schell
- Creature Design - Maquette Painting Techniques with Jordu Schell
- Toy Design & Sculpture For Action Figures & Collectibles with Sandy Collora