AVP: Alien vs. Predator [2004]

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• The most commercially successful of either the Alien or the Predator movies, as well AVP movies, grossing over $171 million.
• Paul W.S. Anderson rewarded hardcore Alien and Predator fans by scattering references to the individual franchises with his film. The opening shot of the movie is a silhouette of the Alien Queen from Aliens, before being completely revealed as a Weyland Satellite.
• Around the time of the film's release, it was reported that at a special industry screening director Paul W.S. Anderson said that the film was always planned as an R-rated movie and shot that way, but only three weeks prior to release the studio changed that by severely cutting the film for a lower PG-13 rating. This account has been heavily disputed by original AVP writer ^[?] Peter Briggs. It was later revealed that this "press-screening" never took place, and was only an Internet rumor started by fans. Anderson has said in interviews that the film seen in theaters is the version he intended audiences to see.
• The first film in the [Alien] franchise to not feature Sigourney Weaver, who has said in interviews the idea of the crossover "sounded awful".
• With the filming of this movie Lance Henriksen became only the second actor to portray characters that have been attacked, and likely killed, by an Alien, a Predator and a Terminator. Bill Paxton was the first.
• While this film languished in so-called "development hell" for years, 20th-Century Fox considered producing a fifth film in the [Alien] franchise instead. James Cameron, who wrote and directed Aliens, had written a script and even approached Sigourney Weaver to star and Ridley Scott to direct, both of whom expressed interest. When the studio decided to use the Alien/Preadator crossover story instead, Cameron, Weaver and Scott all distanced themselves from the project, and later, declared they would never work on either franchise again.
• James Cameron claimed that he thought the film was pretty good and that he liked it a lot.
• In an interview, director Paul W.S. Anderson said that Arnold Schwarzenegger offered to reprise his role as Dutch Schaeffer (from Predator) at the end of this movie as a cameo, but only if he lost the election for California governor.
• Guillermo del Toro was offered the director's chair but opted to Hellboy instead.
• Several hundred actresses tested for the lead female. Sanaa Lathan was selected one week before filming began, and had to fly to Prague immediately.