In 1987, Arnold Schwarzenegger played one of his best sci-fi roles, which he has never returned to since. In an interview, he explained the reason that saved him from a mega-flop
For 36 years, fans have been hoping, but Arnold Schwarzenegger remains merciless. Since Predator was released in 1987, the action hero has not returned to the long-running sci-fi franchise. As the star revealed, an opportunity would have presented itself in 2018 with Predator – Upgrade, but it didn’t appeal to him.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sci-fi return was too small
Talking to Yahoo in 2017, Schwarzenegger explained:
[The producers] asked me, I read the script and I didn’t like it. So I’m not going to be in it unless they rewrite the script or make the role bigger.
As our colleagues at Allocine report, Schwarzenegger was already in talks for Predator 2 years earlier, but didn’t end up playing the part either. In the case of Predator – Upgrade, his unwillingness saved it from being a flop. According to Box Office Mojo, the film only made 160 million US dollars at the box office. Although this is the second best result in the series, with a production budget of 88 million dollars, no Predator film has ever been more expensive. The reactions from fans are even more significant: Moviepilot gave the film an average of 5.2.
(The Predator)
The Predator series revolves around an alien killing machine of the same name, which met the mercenary Dutch (Schwarzenegger) in its first screen appearance in 1987. After the failure of Predator – Upgrade, the acclaimed Prey continued the franchise in 2022. Part 2 is under discussion and could breathe new life into the sci-fi series. Perhaps Schwarzenegger will then also be involved
