If you’re a fan of 1980s action movies, I’m willing to bet that you are aware of the special bit of trivia that concerns Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton. Both are beloved and lauded character actors, but what makes their genre work particularly special is that they are the only performers in cinema history who have squared off against Predators, Xenomorphs and Terminators. It’s a very exclusive club… but this weekend, it is adding a new member thanks to the streaming arrival of the new animated film Predator: Killer Of Killers.
Michael Biehn memorably plays Kyle Reese in The Terminator, he is Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in Aliens, and in the latest installment of the Predator franchise, he voices a World War II commander named Vandy. I instantly picked up on the significance of the actor’s casting when I had the opportunity to see the film this past weekend, and when I asked about it during an interview earlier this week with director Dan Trachtenberg, he confirmed clear intention in the hiring. Said the filmmaker,
A hundred percent. It was intentional when we had a character that needed an actor, and even though Biehn is not the most age appropriate for that role, it was like, 'But let's just kind of not care about that too much because it's just too damn cool.'
While I won’t say too much about Michael Biehn’s role in Predator: Killer Of Killers, he plays a key supporting role in the anthology film’s third segment and is a mentor character for Torres, a young pilot voiced by Rick Gonzalez.
As for Biehn’s new special place alongside Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton in pop culture history, Trachtenberg said,
Three great actors that we grew up watching and loved, and yeah, Michael Biehn being in this movie was absolutely delightful and allows us to now claim that Biehn has squared off with a Terminator, a Xenomorph, and a Predator. So yeah, it's pretty great.
For those out of the loop: Bill Paxton plays the unnamed Punk Leader in The Terminator, Private Hudson in Aliens, and Jerry Lambert in Predator 2. Lance Henriksen is Detective Hal Vukovich in The Terminator, Bishop and Bishop II in Aliens and Alien3, and Charles Bishop Weyland in Alien vs. Predator.
Arriving for Hulu subscribers in advance of Predator: Badlands (also directed by Dan Trachtenberg) hitting theaters, Predator: Killer Of Killers is a time-hoping narrative that sees members of the Yautja go toe-to-toe with Vikings, a ninja and a samurai, and skilled World War II pilots. It’s a fantastic treat for fans of the franchise and an excellent follow-up to Trachtenberg’s Prey. Check it out streaming starting tomorrow, June 6, and be on the lookout for more from my interview with the filmmakers behind the movie in the coming days.
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