Sci-fi franchises continue going from strength to strength, raking in big numbers at the box office and impressing audiences with constant reinvention behind-the-scenes. 20th Century Fox is currently in the midst of bringing the Alien series back into the spotlight with Ridley Scott at the helm. Working on a brand new installment for the Predator series (aptly titled The Predator) is Shane Black - making his return to the series, this time as director and co-writer.

The Predator movies have always been intriguing, often crossing over with the events that go on in the Alien series and delivering stories in a non-linear fashion that somebody new to the franchise would likely be able to pick up (even viewed out of chronological order). While much is yet to be revealed about The Predator, (including the cast,) we can now rule one man out of the proceedings.

Speaking during a night of An Experience With (via avpgalaxy.net), MMA’s Conor McGregor revealed that he was offered a lead role in The Predator, but turned it down as he wanted more money to star.

“I’ll tell you there’s a lot of offers that I’ve turned down. I got offered The Predator movie. There’s a new Predator movie coming out and the guys came to me – did you see that horse thing I’ve done, the horse racing? That was like three days’ solid work for a hell of a lot of money, for three days. During that three day course, the people from Predator who are having this new Predator movie, a blockbuster… They came in and tried to sell the whole shit. ‘We want you to be the main guy and you’re gonna fight Predator’ and I’m like ‘This sounds brilliant! How much?’

Predator Movie

“Not enough. We went back and forth negotiating and the number climbed up but if I was to do it [it] would mean eight weeks in Canada, in Toronto or somewhere. It’s too long a time. You can’t do a million things at once. The Pegasus thing was one thing because it was like three days, in and out. But seven, eight weeks on a film set is heavy as fuck. Plus it would have crept in around when he’s due [McGregor’s unborn baby boy]. I didn’t want to get tricky with that so I turned down that offer.”

Whether you think McGregor’s comments are understandable or the result of an overinflated ego, you certainly have to respect his decision. If he can as he claims make a heck of a lot more money than he was offered in a much shorter period of time, declining the lead role in The Predator had to be a no-brainer, especially for a sportsperson who’s arguably at the height of his career.

In the end, it will likely be a good thing that McGregor is sticking to fighting rather than jumping into a lead role in what may be one of 2018’s biggest releases. McGregor’s heart obviously isn’t in the project, with the sportsman instead focusing solely on the cash incentive.

In saying that, bringing a big name celebrity on board is always a good thing in terms of hooking a new audience. McGregor’s addition could have done a lot for box office numbers, but there’s always the chance that the final product would suffer from the inclusion of a celebrity athlete, rather than a well-established professional.

Source: Conor McGregor (via avpgalaxy.net)

Key Release Dates

  • The Predator 2018 poster
    Predator
    Release Date:
    2018-09-14