If any series need to be in a theme park, it would be the Bond series ($5.1 billion and counting--had a 4-D movie in the old Paramount Parks), "Lord of the Rings" (nearly $3 billion and counting), "X Men" ($1.8 billion and counting), "The Matrix" ($1.6 billion), and Star Trek ($1.4 billion and counting---had the "Star Trek Experience" at the Las Vegas Hilton and some presence in the old Paramount Parks).
Even if you combined "Alien" and "Predator" (including the two crossovers and "Prometheus") worldwide grosses don't eclipse $1 billion.
Rather than adding Predators to a theme park I would just like to see someone with a true love for the material make a good movie that reestablishes the franchise as a real contender. What is Joss Whedon doing after Avengers 2? If it is not a rebirth of Firefly, I would love to see him tackle both the Alien and Predator franchises!
"Predator" just doesn't have the legs. Robert Rodriguez produced a pretty successful reboot in "Predators" making $127 million on a $40 million budget, but it's just never going to be blockbuster material. Because of inflation, a movie today has to probably gross at least $300 million in order to even have a chance of being considered for a theme park attraction. This year, there are only 3 movies that have cleared that hurdle, "Hunger Games," "Dark Knight Rises," and "Avengers." "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and "Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2" will probably also clear that bar, and perhaps "Wreck It Ralph," but it's a really high standard for films that aren't already tied to an existing property.
BTW, Joss Whedon is connected to a bunch of different TV projects (go figure) that may or may not get optioned to series including an "Avengers" live-action show for ABC. Personally, I'd rather put my money on JJ Abrams or Orci/Kurtzman than on Whedon, who has had far more bombs and underground/cult success than bonafide hits.
Predators was okay, as you said, but was essentially a lesser version of the first film. Oddly enough, more humans were killed by other humans (or the stupidity of other humans) than by Predators... which drove me absolutely nuts! Anyway, none of the Predator films ever amounted to much at the box office, so unless a Whedon or Abrams gets involved, the franchise is probably dead.
He's quite possibly one of the top 5 best directors working regularly today along with Spielberg, Tarantino, Scorsese, and Nolan.
In addition to "Alien," "Thelma and Louise," and "Gladiator" that were already mentioned, he also directed "Blade Runner," "Legend," "Blackhawk Down," "Matchstick Men," "American Gangster," and "Body of Lies." While he's only been nominated for Best Director 3 times, his body of work is like pre-2007 Scorsese with hit after hit that leaves you scratching your head as to why this guy has not won an Oscar before. Scott does not get bound by genre or subject matter (like Spielberg), and has only a couple of truly mediocre films ("1492," "A Good Year," and "GI Jane").
Personally, if Robert Rodriguez couldn't do any more with the "Predator" franchise, I don't think Whedon or Abrams would do any better unless they were to do TV adaptations.
In fact of the list of directors you provided, I am sort of hit or miss. I pretty much hate what Nolan has done to Batman, for example (although I liked Batman Begins, just not the two sequels). But that is neither here nor there.
I like happy movies...bright colors...lots of good guys beating bad guys action. I'll take The Incredibles over Batman any day. I am a little tired of dark and dreary... just me I guess. Probably a mid life crisis, or something.
I like both Whedon and Abrams significantly more than Robert Rodriguez. Sure, he has an exciting style, but I am not crazy about his subject matter - I did like the Spy Kids films though, at least the first couple, which should tell you a lot about my taste, or lack thereof! ;)
Side note: Dusk To Dawn is athe name of a motel just outside Cedar Point. But I'll be staying at Motel 6 next month...7 miles away from the park! Gotta do what ya gotta do, right?
Actually, I just sent an e-mail to a motel just outside the park..see if I can get a comparable rate and save the drive (mostly..wouldn't exactly be walkable)
I believe Alien (in The Great Movie Ride) and Terminator 2 are the only permanent attractions based on R rated films and even though they are toned down to PG-13 level action, they still feature warnings for parents with small children.
