Bill Duke, known for his role as Mac in the 1987 sci-fi film Predator, has confirmed Jean-Claude Van Damme's account of being fired from the movie due to recurring dehydration.
Predator, filmed in the jungles of Puerto Vallarta and Palenque, revolves around a military rescue squad being hunted by a camouflaging extraterrestrial creature. Duke starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura, while Kevin Peter Hall portrayed the iconic extraterrestrial hunter, with Peter Cullen providing the creature's voice.
During an interview on the Murder Master Music Show, Duke shared behind-the-scenes details, stating, "The Predator that you saw was not the original Predator." He revealed that leaked photos showed the original Predator as a smaller creature, intended to have special effects added in post-production.
Duke explained, "He had a stealth suit on and they put him on wires and he flew up in the trees with the wires on his back like he was flying." However, Van Damme experienced dehydration and even passed out twice during filming. The producer warned him that another incident would result in termination. Sadly, Van Damme passed out again after two weeks, leading to his firing. Duke revealed, "That person was Jean-Claude Van Damme."
Contrary to Duke's account, director John McTiernan offered a different perspective on the film's 30th anniversary. McTiernan stated that they never shot anything with Van Damme, explaining that the actor struggled to understand the visual effects involved in the Predator costume and had unrealistic ideas about his role compared to Schwarzenegger.
In addition to the behind-the-scenes drama involving Van Damme, the Predator franchise faces further controversy over rights. Screenwriters Jim and John Thomas filed a lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company, asserting their successful recapture of the franchise's rights. Disney acquired the rights when purchasing 20th Century Fox in 2019. The trial is scheduled for April 2022, while Disney is currently working on a Predator sequel called Skull, set to release in 2022.
Disney responded to the lawsuit, claiming, "Defendants are improperly attempting to prematurely terminate 20th Century's rights to the Hunters Screenplay, at the very time that 20th Century is investing substantial time, money, and effort in developing another installment in its successful Predator franchise."
