The horror genre has been on a serious roll recently, with high quality movies making tons of money at the box office. Now studios are turning their heads towards the classics, including Halloween and The Predator. The latter is directed by Shane Black, and has been building anticipation since the film's first footage dropped. The upcoming movie features Black's signature sense of humor, containing a strong cast that appear to be adding equal parts comedy and horror to their performances. The Predator also included 47 year old actor Steven Wilder Striegel, but he was cut from the sequel, after it was revealed he was a registered sex offender.
This shocking report comes from LA Times, which broke the story of Steven Wilder Striegel's cut role in The Predator. Strigel is reportedly a close friend of director Shane Black, prompting his cut scene with Olivia Munn's character Casey Bracket. It was actually Munn who is allegedly responsible for cutting Striegel out of the theatrical cut. After learning of his record as a sex offender, she went to 20th Century Fox to make sure The Predator distanced itself from the actor.
The editing process was likely prompt, as Steven Wilder Striegel was reportedly only in a three page scene of the script. Blockbusters leave sequences on the cutting room floor all the time, so that's not necessarily a strange practice. The key was the timing, as Olivia Munn allegedly wanted to make sure the situation was addressed before The Predator got a wide release.
According to the report, Steven Wilder Striegel plead guilty to allegations in 2010, after trying to solicit a minor into an online sexual relationship. After the story became public, 20th Century Fox made a statement about Striegel's casting in The Predator, saying:
Our studio was not aware of Mr. Striegel's background when he was hired. We were not aware of his background during the casting process due to legal limitations that impede studios from running background checks on actors.
While Steven Wilder Striegel was ultimately taken out of The Predator before its release, it's still possible that the controversy and potential scandal may plague its release-- if for no other reason than Shane Black is reportedly close friends with Striegel. The lesser known actor has gotten a fair amount of work after serving six months in jail, the first of which was actually Shane Black's Marvel flick Iron Man 3. But given the entertainment world's current state in the wake of sexual misconduct cases and the #MeToo movement, news of Striegel's past will have a much more active audience.
CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things The Predator, as it gears up to hit theaters on September 14, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
