This month, Hollywood’s most iconic hunter will make his long-awaited return to the big screen. THE PREDATOR, which opens on September 12, will reboot the legendary franchise, with Shane Black at the helm.
A whole new lineup of victims awaits the alien species. So, before the movie arrives, let’s get to know the star-studded cast of THE PREDATOR a little better.
Boyd Holbrook
Boyd Holbrook plays Quinn McKenna, a former Marine and Special Forces commando. McKenna discovers the existence of the Predators when one of the creatures kills his men. No one believes his account of the aliens, so he takes it upon himself to recruit a new team to take down the alien.
Holbrook kickstarted his career as a model before he began appearing in films such as Milk, Run All Night and A Walk Among The Tombstones. He made an impression on TV audiences as DEA Agent Steve Murphy in Netflix’s Narcos before battling Wolverine in 2017’s Logan.
Trevante Rhodes
Trevante Rhodes plays Nebraska Williams, also a former Marine. He’s McKenna’s best friend and quickly agrees to be part of the Predator-hunting operation headed by his buddy.
Rhodes burst onto the big screen with his starring role in the critically acclaimed Moonlight. He has since appeared in films Burning Sands and 12 Strong. On TV, he has guest-starred in episodes of If Loving You Is Wrong and Westworld.
Jacob Tremblay
Jacob Tremblay plays Quinn’s young son Rory. Judging by the trailers, Rory is responsible for accidentally summoning the Predators to Earth. His preternatural ability to learn languages will make him a key player in the battle against the alien hunters.
At only 11 years old, Tremblay has a successful career, thanks in part to his breakout performance in 2015’s Room. He also appeared in Before I Wake, Burn Your Maps, and Wonder.
Keegan-Michael Key
Keegan-Michael Key plays Coyle. Not too much is known about the character at this stage. However, as the film’s trailer highlights, Coyle may have a wicked sense of humor, but he isn’t afraid to get serious when the Predators show up.
Key’s first fame came thanks to the comedy sketch series Mad TV. He then created Key & Peele with Jordan Peele, wrote for and co-starred on the show for five seasons. He’s also seen on the USA Network series Playing House, and in films like Lets Be Cops and Pitch Perfect 2.
Olivia Munn
Munn’s character is Casey Bracket, a biologist and teacher who ends up joining the fight against the Predators.
Munn began her career as a games journalist before turning to acting. She began appearing in films such as Iron Man 2, Date Night, and appeared on a season of Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show from 2010 to 2011. One of her first major roles was on HBO series The Newsroom, which she followed with lead roles in Magic Mike and Mortdecai before portraying superhero Psylocke in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Thomas Jane
Thomas Jane plays Baxley, a military veteran suffering from PTSD. He, too, takes part in the fight against the aliens… and seems like one of the most unstable members of the crew.
Jane is a Hollywood veteran best known for his roles in The Punisher, The Mist, Deep Blue Sea, Boogie Nights, and 1922. He directed and starred in the 2009 film Dark Country, and has had starring roles in TV shows Hung and The Expanse.
Alfie Allen
Another ex-Marine brought in to help deal with the Predators is Lynch, played by Alfie Allen. He’s the brother of singer Lily Allen, and Alfie has developed a great reputation playing complicated characters like Theon Greyjoy on Game of Thrones. He began his career with small roles in the film Atonement and the British series Casualty 1907. More recently, he’s been in films including Plastic, John Wick and Pandemic.
Sterling K. Brown
Sterling K. Brown plays Will Traeger, a government agent who once jailed McKenna. As we can see in the trailer, Traeger has taken an interest in the creatures and is the first person in the franchise to ever actually refer to them as “predators.”
Brown has been working in film and TV for 15 years. His first leading role was on the show Army Wives. More recently, roles on FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and NBC’s This Is Us earned him Emmy Awards and a huge fanbase. On film, he has appeared in Marshall, Hotel Artemis, and Black Panther.
Augusto Aguilera
Augusto Aguilera plays Nettles, an eccentric characters member of the Predator-hunting pack. He’s a Blackhawk helicopter pilot who previously suffered a traumatic brain injury in a crash. This is the first major film role for Aguilera. He is best known for his recurring role in ABC Family’s Chasing Life, and has also appeared in episodes of Major Crimes and Grey’s Anatomy.
Yvonne Strahovski
Yvonne Strahovski plays’ Emily McKenna, Rory’s mom, and Quinn’s ex-wife. We loved Strahovski on Chuck, Dexter, and the 24 revival event from 2014, 24: Live Another Day. She voiced Miranda Lawson in the Mass Effect games. Most importantly, she currently stars on The Handmaid’s Tale, for which she has been nominated for an Emmy, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Jake Busey
Jake Busey’s role links The Predator to a previous film in the franchise. He plays Sean Keyes, the son of Peter Keyes from Predator 2. (Peter Keyes was played by Busey’s father, Gary Busey). While we don’t know much about the character, it’s likely that his father’s untimely death in Predator 2 will have influenced his interest in the creatures.
Busey has been acting since childhood, thanks in part to his father’s career. Some of his most significant roles have been in Contact, Starship Troopers, and Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners. Recently, he’s been seen on television, in Ray Donovan, From Dusk Till Dawn, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He has a role in the third season of Netflix’s hit, Stranger Things.
THE PREDATOR hits theaters on September 12, 2018.
