Back in March of 2017, Edward James Olmos was cast in
The Predator. Known for iconic sci-fi roles in
Blade Runner and
Battlestar Galactica, and even playing an important role in the second season of
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Olmos was said to be playing a four-star general.
However, it now appears that Olmos' character has been completely cut from Shane Black's upcoming film.
Speaking with
/Film while doing publicity rounds for his role in FX's upcoming
Sons of Anarchy spinoff,
Mayans M.C., Olmos was asked about his role in
The Predator. He noted that his military figure was not a very important character that was relevant to the main story before revealing that his character has been cut from the film in an effort to shorten the movie. Luckily, Olmos has no hard feelings about the decision:
I'm not in the show though. It was too long so my character, they had to take me out. They were like half an hour, 3/4 of an hour too long. So I understand why. [And] it was gracious of them to call me and tell me, ‘Hey, we really feel bad,’ you know?
The Predator has a little over a month before it hits theaters, but the film has been plagued with a very rough production. The release date has been delayed multiple times, and there have been multiple reshoots, the latest of which began the other week in Vancouver.
With such difficulty behind the scenes, it comes as no surprise that Black is cutting parts of the film for a more streamlined theatrical version that is not overly long for audiences. However, removing such a large chunk of what was filmed can also result in editing and story issues, if improperly handled.
Would you have liked to have seen Olmos in
The Predator? With hopes that this film will serve as the start of a new
Predator trilogy, we will know soon enough whether Black's decisions result in a strong final product that performs well enough to warrant sequels.