In the 1980s and early '90s, no actor dominated the box office like Arnold Schwarzenegger. From The Terminator to Commando, The Running Man, and Total Recall, he was the undisputed king of action. Among his most celebrated films is the 1987 sci-fi horror masterpiece Predator, directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard, Last Action Hero). The film is the ultimate '80s action thriller, packed with memorable characters, bulging biceps, quotable one-liners, and a genuinely terrifying alien. But the movie we know today almost turned out very differently. When 20th Century Fox approached Schwarzenegger with a bizarre script request, the actor flatly refused. Had he agreed, it would have fundamentally altered Predator, undermining both its hero and its iconic villain.
Studio Execs Wanted a Love Interest for Dutch
By 1987, the 40-year-old Schwarzenegger was already a proven action star, but after the massive success of The Terminator, he had a string of less memorable films. Then came Predator. In it, he plays Dutch Schaefer, a mercenary leading his team into the Central American jungle, where they encounter a threat far worse than any human enemy: an alien hunter stalking them for sport. One by one, Dutch's squad is picked off until only he and a captured guerrilla named Anna (Elpidia Carrillo) remain. Anna's role is small, but if Fox had gotten their way, it would have been disastrous.
Years ago, on The Arsenio Hall Show, Schwarzenegger recalled how studio executives often pressured him to include a love interest in his films. He was firmly against "throwing a woman in just for the sake of having one to sell a few extra tickets." This pressure even came during the shooting of Predator. Schwarzenegger told the story of a studio exec who called him with the request. The actor responded, "So, I say, how do you expect me to do that? You know, here I am running through the jungle. The ten guys, ten of my soldier friends, are getting killed by this Predator that's chasing us down, and he's about to kill me. Do you want me to say to the girl, 'Let's go around the bush and have a little nookie here'?" After that explanation, the exec conceded, "I guess you have a point." The absurd idea was dropped.
How a Love Interest Would Have Ruined Dutch
Predator works by taking classic action movie tropes and twisting them into something more. Dutch is the epitome of cool—all testosterone, just like his crew, including Al Dillon (Carl Weathers) and Blain Cooper (Jesse Ventura). The film gives us what we expect: the iconic arm-wrestling scene, endless one-liners, and more firepower than you can count. But once the alien appears, the movie flips from a high-octane action flick into a sci-fi horror nightmare. From that point on, there's no time to stop or slow down. A sophisticated alien with advanced technology is relentlessly hunting them.
A love interest would have damaged Predator on multiple levels. It would have severely hurt Dutch's character. Next to his role in the Terminator franchise, Dutch is arguably Schwarzenegger's most famous part. That's because the protagonist is both badass and all business—not just physically strong, but also smarter than everyone else, which is how he ultimately wins. If Dutch, while being pursued by an alien, suddenly decided to let his hormones take over, it would show that he isn't so smart after all, risking both his and Anna's lives just to get laid. Dutch is memorable because he has only one thing on his mind: survival. Anything else would make him the opposite of the hero the story requires.
The Predator Loses Its Fear Factor
Even worse is what a love interest subplot would have done to the alien antagonist. Played by the 7'2" Kevin Peter Hall and designed by the legendary Stan Winston, the Predator is one of the most uniquely terrifying villains in sci-fi horror history—even before its mask comes off. The creature is immensely intimidating, and defeating its superior strength and technology requires an incredible effort. If Dutch and Anna stop running away to have sex in the bushes, they're telling the audience the alien isn't that big of a threat. If they don't care, why should we?
Thankfully, Schwarzenegger didn't make movies just to get rich and be a star. He genuinely cared about the script and the art of filmmaking. If he had been a yes-man who did whatever he was told for a paycheck, Predator wouldn't be the classic it is today, and an entire franchise might never have happened. At the same time, his name carried so much weight in 1987 that 20th Century Fox easily gave in when he stood up to them. In the end, Predator succeeds because of its relentless action and horror. Dutch is the perfect '80s hero being hunted by the perfect villain. All that matters is killing the monster and saving the day—nothing more.
For more on why some classics should never be tampered with, check out our list of 8 Untouchable Classics That Should Never Get a Remake. And if you're a fan of horror that keeps you on edge, don't miss our analysis of Why 'Poltergeist' Is the Scariest Horror Movie With Zero Deaths.
