Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544392
www.postmagazine.com 21 POST MAR/APR 2026 a great challenge, but I'm really pleased with the end result. Seeing a snarling Kalisk running and launching itself at a charging mech, in the cinema, was very rewarding. This sequence evolved over the course of post production, but the edit of the previs stayed quite similar to the final edit." For the Kalisk, the reference of big cats and bears served as a basis for its design. "When the Kalisk pushes down on the Super Power Loader to get at Tessa inside, this was heav- ily based on the behavior of bears trying to break into rubbish bins," Rapley reveals. "But also the quieter moments. The Kalisk had to show a softer side as it begins to accept Dek, so the animation team had to show curiosity and concern in a face that was built to look quite fearsome." The Weta animation team was also challenged with creating Dek's face, as audiences have now become familiar with the look of a Predator. "A Predator is a very challenging creature to create a performance for, as they essentially do not have lips," says Rapley. "They can't close their mouths...and they have some scary, prominent mandibles and other alien features, so we had to use what we had to our advantage and keeping the mandibles, cheeks and larynx 'alive' with subtle but deliberate movements…It took a little bit to find Dek and what that performance would ultimately look like, but the subtleties were the most import- ant thing...to ensure [the] audience believes that there is a real character existing there." Rapley says the sequence of Dek going toe-to- toe with the Super Power Loader was epic in scale and a huge task, yet very rewarding. "We started from a live-action base that eventu- ally developed into an all-CGI shot in post produc- tion as the needs of the shot grew," says Rapley. "Honoring the live-action camera, we kept the Steadicam style," he adds. Stunt performers were captured on Weta's mocap stage performing various actions, which were then stitched together to create a single Dek animation puppet. The asset then went to an animator for final posing adjustments, additional cinematography and clean up. "Having every small moment read amongst the action was a massive challenge, but also very rewarding," Rapley concludes. The Kalisk and Super Power Loader face off in this climactic sequence. Weta FX served as the lead VFX studio on the film.