Predator 2 takes the action out of the jungle and into the urban sprawl of Los Angeles. Set in 1997 amid a heatwave and a violent gang war, the film follows LAPD Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) as he discovers that the brutal killings in the city are not just gang-related, but the work of an extraterrestrial hunter. The Predator, more advanced and ruthless than before, stalks the city’s criminals and police alike.
Harrigan, reckless but determined, clashes with both his own superiors and a secret government task force led by Special Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey), who is attempting to capture the Predator alive. As the body count rises, Harrigan is drawn into a deadly confrontation that takes him inside the Predator’s lair—where he not only battles the creature but also encounters shocking hints of a larger intergalactic hunting tradition.
Directed by Stephen Hopkins, Predator 2 leaned into gritty urban atmosphere, graphic violence, and a heightened sense of chaos. While initially divisive among critics, it has since gained cult status for its bold change of setting, Danny Glover’s intense performance, and for expanding Predator lore—including the now-iconic reveal of an Alien skull in the Predator’s trophy case, sparking the Alien vs. Predator crossover legacy.
