As many in the fandom have heard over the past week, it was brought to the media's attention that Steven Wilder Striegel, a friend of Shane Black's for 14 years who was cast in The Predator, had pleaded guilty in 2010 to trying to lure a 14-year-old girl into an online sexual relationship. Prior to filming Fox was unaware that Striegel was a registered sex offender but after this information was brought to their attention the studio acted quickly to cut all of Striegel's scenes from the movie.
Unfortunately however, director Shane Black avoided his Red Carpet appearance and Q&A session at the Toronto International Film Festival the other night for The Predator's premiere to avoid the controversy despite being in attendance.
The L.A. Times managed to catch up with Black to discuss the situation:
Black had defended casting Striegel in an initial statement to The Times, saying, “I personally chose to help a friend.” However, he later issued an apology, just hours ahead of the film’s premiere: "I believe strongly in giving people second chances," he said, "but sometimes you discover that chance is not as warranted as you may have hoped."
It's uncertain how this development will affect The Predator's performance when it debuts to the public on September 14th.
Get updates on upcoming Predator movies delivered to your social media by following us on X, on Instagram and liking our Facebook page!
Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands released in theaters on November 7th, 2025! See how well the film performed at the box office, here! Be sure to also browse the Predator Lore database for information on the film's different Yautja and characters, the planet Genna, how it connects to Alien, where in the Predator movie timeline the film takes place and more!
Early Kalisk designs explored a very different, Rancor looking beast in Predator: Badlands!
Concept art for the adult Kalisk reveals a number of alternative designs the creature underwent throughout production.
Predator: Badlands is making bank on streaming platforms!
The Dan Trachtenberg Yautja flick is headlining streaming charts for on-demand purchases!
Alternative designs for the Genna Vulture in Predator: Badlands by Dane Hallett!
The Genna Vulture is that winged Pterodactyl-looking creature in Predator: Badlands which almost eats Dek before Thia comes to his rescue.
