With work on the upcoming Predator reboot really starting to kick into gear it was only a matter of time before some serious casting news was revealed. It started with the news that Danny Trejo, from Machete, Desperado and a whole lot of other bad ass movies, would have a role in Robert Rodrigues's reboot. I knew though that the news of Trejo's casting wasn't going to be the only thing revealed and well it looks like I was right as some huge casting and story details have been broken today.

It looks like Predator is a pretty big thing in the Hollywood circles as big wig Oscar winner Adrien Brody, The Pianist, and the ever likable Topher Grace, That 70's Show and Spiderman 3, have been cast in the film. The casting of these two actors is huge as I was expecting Predator to have a relatively unknown cast with maybe a few well known supporting characters, like Trejo. In these films the main focus isn't the human actors but instead it is the stuntmen who play the Predators themselves. Obviously though I was wrong as Nimrod Antal, the director, and Rodrigues have secured a rather impressive cast. The Hollywood Reporter, who broke the news on Brody and Grace, have also reported that Alice Braga, UFC Fighter Oleg Taktarov and Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (from the 4400) will also appear in the film. 


The Reporter then goes on to detail the story which sounds rather interesting given the characters involved: "Brody is a man who ends up inheriting the mantle of leader and is known as a hunter of men. Grace would play an accountant-type whose unassuming facade masks a dangerous serial killer. Braga is the tough female killer. Ali is a man not afraid to die, Goggins is the loose canon of the group and Taktarov is a former Russian special ops agent. Trejo, already cast, is Cuchillo, a hardened warrior with twin uzis strapped to his back." This group of bizarre murderers and hunters somehow end up on a Predator controlled world, not Earth, and find themselves being hunted down by the Predators. It'll be interesting to find out whether they are like prisoners who get stranded on the planet or if they are deliberately sent there. I think the prisoners storyline seems more probable given Brody's description as the man who inherits the mantle of leadership and Grace's role as an accountant who is actually a serial killer. Seeing Grace and Brody in rather evil roles, a serial killer and hunter of men, should be very interesting as they play generally likable or sympathetic characters most of the time so this seems a bit of a change, albeit a welcome one as seeing them play something different and unexpected could be really good. I guess it also promises to be an action packed movie where the Predator's stealth may be tested as they all seem like hardened killers who will go out fighting, not picked off unsuspectingly. Anyway my interest has piqued a little bit with these castings as they seem out of place and give the film a more interesting buzz.

Filming starts soon in Hawaii so expect to see some set shoots in the near future.