Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Doesn't Care For The Predator Sequels
Of the movie monsters that ended up spawning their own film series, I think it's pretty interesting how the Predator seems to be stuck in this kind of limbo where it fluctuates between whether it wants to recapture the spirit of the original film ("Predators") or go in a completely different direction ("The Predator"). "Predator" saw Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch, the leader of a paramilitary group dispatched to rescue hostages from a group of guerilla fighters in Central America. While the team completes the mission, a trail of flayed corpses indicate there's another player in the game that's waiting to hunt them in the jungle one by one. What follows is not only one of the greatest monster thrillers of the '80s, but Schwarzenegger at his most quotable.
When you think of all the movies Schwarzenegger has been a part of, it's pretty wild that he's never returned to "Predator." Usually a legacy sequel like "Predators" or "The Predator" would see an opportunity to bring him in, at least for a cameo role, but it seems like the "Total Recall" actor had no interest in returning. Even the "Terminator" series at its lowest ("Terminator: Genisys") kept finding ways to bring him back. But it doesn't look like Dutch is going to get a rematch anytime soon, given Schwarzenegger's thoughts on the "Predator" sequels as a whole.
Schwarzenegger didn't stick around
According to The Hollywood Reporter, while participating in a 2015 Q&A session after a "Terminator Genisys" preview screening, Arnold Schwarzenegger made it clear he wasn't a fan of the series' trajectory, and it's the higher-ups who are largely to blame:
"The sad story is that sometimes studios do a great job with creating sequels, and sometimes they really screw it up bad, and it all has to do with greed. You know, they sometimes want to do it really cheap and make as much money as possible, so they don't hire the right cast or not the right director. ... It's stupid moves to make."
It seems like Schwarzenegger is vaguely referring to a deal that fell through in getting him in "Predator 2," which starred Danny Glover instead. There initially were plans to include Schwarzenegger in some capacity, but producer John Davis indicated in an interview with Collider that the "Kindergarten Cop" star ultimately let his own greed get the best of him:
"The deal broke down over $250,000, which is a shame."
Within the same 2015 Q&A, Schwarzenegger also said that "So far, no 'Predator,' no matter which one they did after the first one has come out, has been satisfactory to the audience." Although the sequels, and even the first "Alien vs. Predator" to an extent, has their fans, he's not entirely wrong. I don't think this solely has to do with his absence, but 20th Century not quite knowing what to do with the titular hunter. While the Predator wasn't a huge hit with his last outing, it appears that "10 Cloverfield Lane" director Dan Trachtenberg appears to be bringing the space warrior back to its roots with the upcoming "Prey" this summer.
"Prey" will be available to stream on Hulu on August 5, 2022.