Gov Gig Keeps Arnold Out of “Predators”

Some would make a convincing argument that you need two things to make a sequel to "Predator" -- a big, ugly monster and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The forces behind "Predators" have plenty of ugly alien monsters, but no Arnold in the movie opening July 9. Get used to it people. It still works. Things do blow up and aliens take a butt-whooping without the Governor, who has headaches of his own.

Producer Robert Rodriguez said Thursday he tried to find a way to get Schwarzenegger into the movie, but it was just going to be too difficult with the governor's schedule and the movie's crazy schedule. He gave up early.

"It was gonna be sort of a non-starter," he said. "So we thought let’s just make a really great movie."

When Rodriguez originally wrote the sequel in 1995, Arnold was everywhere in it and pivotal in the treatment. But by the time they came around to making the film, Arnold was going to be impossible to get. "In my script, he was the entire film and now he was Governor so I was like, 'I know we can't get him for the lead and I don't think we can get him for a cameo.' "

"But we did entertain the idea of where we could place him." That didn't last long.

Instead the lead role went to Adrien Brody. And there's hardly an uber-bicep to be seen in the cast. Surprisingly, in this darker version of the story, the campy Arnold is not missed (entirely). Brody carries the day as the lead with his brains, even if he does knock an alien brain or two.

And fear not, there's hope for a future role once Arnold is done with the day job in the fall.

"If the movie is well received and people want a sequel," said Rodriguez, "maybe we can ask him for a cameo."

 

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