Thirty years ago,Shane Blackturned in a short-lived but delightful supporting role inJohn McTiernan’sPredator, a cult-classic creature feature that starredArnold Schwarzeneggerin the heroic role of the musclebound commando, Dutch. Fast forward to 2017. Black is now writing and directingThe Predator, a sequel to the original film, and it sounds like he wants Dutch to play a part, with Schwarzenegger returning to fill the role.
Unfortunately, that part was apparently too small and insignificant for Schwarzenegger. Thanks to a tip fromAvPGalaxy, we have an idea of the context of Dutch’s appearance, which helps to explain the reason why Schwarzenegger turned it down. (He would, however, considerplaying another villainin a futureBatmanfilm.) So don’t get your hopes up for Dutch’s return unless something major changes in the run-up toThe Predator’s July 12, 2025 release date.
In a chat withYahoo!, Schwarzenegger was candid about his response to the offer to play a small part inThe Predator:
My all-time favorite film of yours isPredator, and Shane Black is now rebooting the franchise withThe Predator. Are you involved with it in any way?
They asked me, and I read it, and I didn’t like it — whatever they offered. So I’m not going to do that, no. Except if there’s a chance that they rewrite it, or make it a more significant role. But the way it is now, no, I won’t do that.
AvPGalaxy reports that the small cameo would have appeared at the end of the film and would comprise only a few lines that helped set up the sequel. And yes, you may bet that the 20th Century Fox folks are banking on a sequel regardless.
As for Black, he responded to a follow-up inquiry on Twitter:
So either Dutch gets a bigger part or he won’t be back at all; I’m not sure which track fans of thePredatorfranchise would rather see at this point. Stay tuned; we’ll report more onThe Predatoras it becomes available. In the meantime, you can catch up on our recent write-ups below:
