In their unending search for worthy trophies, the Yautja have explored the farthest corners of the galaxy. Needless to say, the expert hunters have visited Earth on more than one occasion… and not necessarily during what we call present and future. Predator: Dark Ages is a fan film that gives the franchise a very interesting twist, pitting a group of warriors in the Middle Ages against the technological fury and almost perfect camouflage of a Predator.
The idea of a significant technological difference between two opponents has fueled many stories. In most cases, the human race tends to fare quite badly when an invader with superior weaponry appears, but the Predator saga operates on other parameters. Although they have been seen in groups and fighting each other, each Yautja's hunt tends to be strictly personal, and no desire for conquest goes beyond killing its prey and obtaining a trophy. The honor of the hunt and the recognition of a formidable rival are more important, something exposed in the endings of the first two films (especially the second), with a good dose of hand-to-hand combat. Predators have fought in the jungle, in the city, and in Antarctica. Now, how does the Middle Ages sound?
A Fan Film Set in the Middle Ages
That is exactly the question Predator: Dark Ages, a fan film written and directed by James Bushe, aims to answer. A group of war-weary Knights Templar returns to England only to find a new horror beyond their comprehension. The strung-up and skinned bodies, strange shadows, and the «red lights» that herald death are clear signs that something completely different is stalking the forest.
The project appeared on Kickstarter a while ago, and barely managed to reach its goal of five thousand pounds. Originally, the release was announced for October 2014, but the latest official information points to the end of this month or the beginning of the next. The film will be available for free on YouTube, a logical decision considering that Fox only has to give the order for its lawyers to open the nuclear silos. Both Predator and Alien have films in development. The crossover of both franchises was without a doubt disappointing, so perhaps it is better they remain separate for a while, and that fans expand both universes with projects like Dark Ages.
