Arnold Schwarzenegger Says No to ‘The Predator’ Cameo

It has already taken out human mercenaries, alien warriors and even Topher Grace — but there’s one person that the Predator can’t intimidate. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said that he’s had a chance to read part of the screenplay for the upcoming relaunch of the sci-fi monster franchise, and he’s passing on the small role he was offered.

Asked by Yahoo! Movies if he was involved with Shane Black’s revival of the series, Schwarzenegger revealed that he’d already been approached — but had turned down the opportunity.

“They asked me, and I read it, and I didn’t like it — whatever they offered,” he said. “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.”

The actor had starred in the original Predator in 1987 as Dutch Schaefer, the sole human survivor of a Predator attack — indeed, he defeated the Predator in hand-to-hand combat — but it’s unclear if he would have been reprising that role or appearing in a different capacity in Black’s project, The Predator, which takes place after the first two movies in the series but before 2010’s Predators.

The chances for Schwarzenegger to get his wish and have the role expanded are getting smaller by the day: Production on the movie started in February.

On Friday, a Schwarzenegger spokesperson released a statement clarifying that the former California governor was not saying he’d read the entire script for the film.

“He was discussing the particular small role he was offered — not passing judgment on the full script,” the statement reads in part. “He wishes Shane Black the best with the production.”  

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April 7, 4:33 p.m. Updated with a statement from Schwarzenegger’s spokesperson.