‘The Predator:’ Director Confirms That Arnold Schwarzenegger Will Play An Older Character, If He Returns To The Franchise

In Hollywood, the reboot/remake machine as never been busier as many nostalgic films/properties of days past find themselves caught up in the whirlwind of cinematic modernization. However, despite the retreading of familiar tales, some brands still have some promising mileage left in them; and the Predator franchise is one of them. Culturally significant for decades, it’s actually a surprise that the franchise has only been involved in five cinematic outings since its debut in 1987, which explains why fans are relatively excited about Shane Black’s incoming sequel.

Since The Predator was announced last year, we’ve received morsels of intel about the film; enough information to keep us interested but at the same time, not ruin anything about the movie itself. With Shane Black on board as director and co-writer, hopes for the sequel are high, and with a rumored return for franchise stalwart Arnold Schwarzenegger, the fans have never been more eager to see another Predator installment.

Shane Black has kept quiet on the return of the Austrian Oak for some time, despite the evolving rumors of his involvement; but this week, the director provided some tasty information about Schwarzenegger’s potential role — his character will definitely be older, if in fact the actor returns to the franchise.

Several months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger teased a meeting with Shane Black, but this week the director added fuel to that rumor fire when he revealed that he actually has plans for Schwarzenegger’s character — should he appear. Speaking to Crave Online, he discussed the film in brief detail.

“No, these things [the events of Predator 2] all happened in 1990, but now it’s 25 years later. So in other words, if Arnold’s in it – which I’m not allowed to discuss [laughs] – he would be old Arnold.”

While 1987’s Predator was a sleeper hit of some magnitude, it’s follow ups were met with less enthusiasm. 1990’s Predator 2 was eventually green lit without Schwarzenegger in the cast, receiving mixed reviews on release, and in 2010, twenty years later, pseudo-reboot Predators graced cinemas without so much as a tremble. Aside from two Alien v Predator movies, the titular alien of the films has remained silent, preferring to fare in comics, video games and books. You could argue that the one thing missing from the sequels was Arnold, who made the original such a riot. He was even rumored to return for a cameo in the third film, a role that eventually went to Laurence Fishburne. His return to the Predator franchise has been mooted for years, and where nothing is confirmed yet, it seems we may finally get our wish.

This wasn’t the only reveal for The Predator this week, though. Black also confirmed that he is trying to make the design of the titular alien stand out from previous installments, with some changes and modifications to the monster’s iconic costume. He revealed his vision to ComingSoon.

“It’s not to ‘improve,’ it’s make it fun, make it different, make it organically different. So what’s the extension of it that makes sense, that’s exciting? There have been a lot of changes to Stan’s design over the years. These different Predator movies have done different things. Ultimately it’s not about design to me, it’s about the story you want to tell.”

With the vital information that Fox are giving Shane Black a budget of blockbuster proportions — something the Inquisitr reported on back in March — which has the potential to make The Predator a cinematic spectacle, the future of the franchise looks to be in good hands.

The first three standalone Predator movies had a combined budget of $90 million. Shane Black has fared slightly better on his movies; Iron Man 3 had $200 million (grossing $1.215 billion in box-office), and the director’s latest movie, The Nice Guys, was brought to life for $50 million, so the proof is in the pudding — Black works extremely well with a decent budget. It seems Fox have made a sound financial decision.

Let’s remember that Schwarzenegger played Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer in the original Predator. Twenty-five years later, and it’s sound to say that the character would be a little less active, but if he does return in some capacity, there’s no doubt that fans of the original will love the connection between the two movies. The rumors will persist until something is concrete, but the thought of Schwarzenegger returning to a franchise he helped kick-start — whether as Dutch or a new character — is a massive plus for the future of the Predator brand.

‘I’ll be back!” the actor once uttered, launching himself into cinematic folklore. On this small evidence, this might just become true.

Directed by Shane Black, The Predator is released in cinemas on March 2, 2018.

[Image via 20th Century Fox]