Where was Predator 2 filmed?

Across the urban jungle of a sweltering Los Angeles, the predator zeroes in on the sounds of automatic gunfire and violent explosions. On the gritty streets of LA, two drug cartels are at war, and we see the gangbangers sheltering behind cars as they exchange gunfire with the police. As we see two officers lying wounded in the street, it quickly becomes clear that the cartels have the upper hand. “It’s like Dante’s hell down here: smoke, fire, oppressive heat as Colombian and Jamaican drug fiends once again turn the streets of LA into a slaughterhouse,” says reporter Tony Pope live from the scene. “Who the hell’s in charge down here?” he continues. “The cops? Uh-uh. They’re outmanned, outgunned, and incompetent,” he rages, before narrowly missing being run over by Harrigan’s car. This explosive opening sequence was filmed on Winston Street in downtown LA. Head for street numbers in the 300s and you’ll start to recognize some of the buildings and streetscapes from this scene.

When all appears lost in the violent gun battle, Mike Harrigan steps up to save the day. Sheltering behind the wheel of his car, he drives headfirst into heavy gunfire to rescue two wounded police officers. Then, as the heavily armed bandits continue to shower the police with bullets, he takes them on all on his own and single-handedly shoots several of them dead. More of the gang members retreat into a building and Mike is ready to pursue them, but the brass have other ideas. “Orders from Chief Heinemann. He says secure perimeter, surround building and wait,” reveals Detective Danny Archuleta (Rubén Blades). But Mike has no intention of waiting for reinforcements to arrive. “If we let those bastards get dug in now, we’ll have to level the building to get them out,” he yells furiously. “Heinemann can kiss my sweet ass,” he says, charging into the building, where several of the Colombians have been slain by the predator. Pursuing a coked-up bad guy to the rooftop, Mike is drawn into another gunfight. More importantly, he catches his first glimpse of the predator. Though it appears as if Mike charges into the building from the street where the shootout took place, this Predator 2 filming location is actually found at 604 South Main Street in LA. The building where this rooftop is located is actually about half a mile away from where the shootout was filmed.

After Danny meets his brutal demise at the hands of the predator, Mike heads to the cemetery to pay his respects to his fallen colleague. Little does he know, however, that the predator is shadowing his every move. While Mike visits Danny’s grave, we see a young boy playing games among the headstones. Holding a toy gun, he opens fire on a host of invisible bad guys, unaware the predator is watching his every move. But then we see the cold-blooded killing machine assess whether the child is a threat, the boy spots the predator in a tree. “Want some candy?” he asks innocently, completely oblivious to the horrific nature of the creature in front of him. This scene was filmed at Angelus Rosedale Cemetery. Located at 1831 West Washington Boulevard, it’s about four miles southwest of the heart of LA.

After the predator’s latest terrifying attack on the subway, Mike rushes to the scene to check on his colleagues. But with Jerry (Bill Paxton) dead and Leona (María Conchita Alonso) in deep shock, he sets off on foot to track the predator. He eventually watches it climb on a car and head for the rooftops, stunning onlookers below. As he prepares to continue his pursuit, he’s more than a little annoyed to be confronted by obnoxious reporter Tony Pope. “Hey, Harrigan! More victims, more mutilation,” he greets the cop excitedly. Furious, Mike turns around and delivers a simple message — “F*ck you!” — before punching Pope, knocking him out cold. This scene was shot at 840 Santee Street, which is located about a mile south from the center of LA. Once again, it’s quite easy to recognize the streetscape from the movie when you visit this location in person.

So far, nothing and no-one can stop the predator. Mike is LA’s best bet of saving itself from the fearsome beast and sets off in pursuit of it in his car, but he’s soon waylaid by Special Agent Keyes (Gary Busey) and his men. The agents believe they’ve worked out a foolproof plan to capture the predator, but they’re soon to be proven very wrong. Meanwhile, the predator seems unstoppable. Clambering to the top of a tall building to show off its latest kill, the triumphant beast lets out an almighty roar and is then struck by lightning. It’s quite an impressive sight and one of the most iconic scenes in Predator 2. This Predator 2 scene was filmed at the Eastern Columbia Building at 849 South Broadway. This Art Deco building is an instantly recognizable landmark, and a must-see for any fan of the Predator franchise.

It’s been a long time coming, but Mike is about to have his final showdown with the predator. While the fearsome alien killing machine is too smart for Keyes (Gary Busey) and his men, outfoxing and then killing them, Mike manages to wound the beast. And after a desperate rooftop battle from which Mike is lucky to escape with his life, he tracks the predator to an underground lair where its spacecraft is hidden. Armed with one of the monster’s throwing discs, Mike searches the underground tunnel. “Where are you?” he yells, all the while staring in wonder at the alien spacecraft. Suddenly the predator leaps from the shadows, and what follows is a violent brawl between Mike and the extraterrestrial. It’s a brutal, bone-crunching battle, but Mike eventually manages to slay the monster. “That’s right, asshole. Shit happens!” he yells as the predator lets out a mighty roar and falls to the ground. Exhausted and wounded, Mike can then do little more than watch on as a host of other predators seemingly materialize in front of him. “OK, who’s next,” he says dejectedly, but these creatures aren’t here to fight. Mike has won, so they carry away their fallen comrade. One then throws him an antique pistol. “Take it,” the creature growls, and Mike must then beat a hasty retreat from the spacecraft before it returns to the aliens’ home planet. This Predator 2 filming location where the predator’s spaceship is hidden is the Belmont Tunnel at 1304 West 2nd Street in LA. Once again, it’s another spot found right in the heart of the city.