The ’80s were something else for Arnold Schwarzenegger and his nemesis, Sylvester Stallone, who were racking up bodies in action releases that have stood the test of time, including The Terminator and Stallone’s First Blood. But in addition to the movie that defined Schwarzenegger as a big deal, another major release under his belt in the same decade was Predator, which, like The Terminator, has gone on to witness several sequels under its banner.
But unlike The Terminator, whose sequels saw Schwarzenegger returning in his iconic T-1000 gig, the same hasn’t been the case for Predator, and given the actor’s fallout with the studio execs, it’s easy to see why.
Studio meddling left a sour taste in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s mouth
When it comes to IPs, studio execs often have the last say, unless it’s an entirely director-driven series. In Predator‘s case, the higher-ups at 20th Century Fox did have some say in the IP’s future, which ultimately contributed to the bad blood between the monster IP and The Terminator star.
Although Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t inherently against studios’ involvement with movies, the studio execs’ greed regarding Predator‘s direction did leave a sour taste in his mouth to the point that he cut all ties with the franchise.
He said (via The Hollywood Reporter):
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
Moreover, Schwarzenegger’s original plans to reprise the role of Dutch went south because of a reported $250K dispute (via Collider). While the franchise has struggled to find a cohesive direction with the releases that followed the original movie, the new entry in the franchise might open the door for The Terminator star’s potential return.
Predator: Killer of Killers can open the door for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return
Although the actor’s grudges toward 20th Century Fox’s treatment of the IP do little to exhibit promise regarding the actor’s potential return, Predators: Killer of Killers might change things for the better.
Not only was Killer of Killers undoubtedly the best entry in the franchise in decades, which currently stands at a whopping 97% on the Tomatometer, but it also expanded on the Yautja lore.
As for how it could explain Schwarzenegger’s potential return, it’s implied that victorious warriors tend to get abducted post-battle and preserved in cryosleep for future combat due to Predators’ obsession with testing themselves.
Considering Killer of Killers has put the IP back on track, if The Terminator star does bury the hatchet in the future, his return as Dutch could be very much explained through this Yautja practice.
Predator: Killer of Killers is available to stream on Hulu (USA).
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