If you've been out of the loop on 'The Predator' and a casting controversy surrounding a registered sex offender, here's a quick recap on what happened and what's currently happening at the moment.
Olivia Munn, who plays Casey Brackett in 'The Predator', had previously filmed a scene in the movie with an actor named Steven Wilder Striegel. The scene, according to a report in Variety, involved Striegel's character hitting on Munn's and was cut from the finished movie two days out from locking the picture - that's when the movie is finally finished and sent to cinemas.
The reason for the scene being cut was Olivia Munn discovered that Steven Wilder Striegel was a registered sex offender who had spent six months in jail after he plead guilty to risk of injury to a child and enticing a minor by computer. Munn informed Fox of Striegel's history and the decision was then made to cut his scene entirely. Fox later issued a statement on the matter, saying that the studio was "not aware of his background due to legal limitations that impede studios from running background checks on actors."
Shane Black, who directed the movie, released a statement at the Toronto Film Festival where it screened. Black said that "(having) read this morning’s news reports, it has sadly become clear to me that I was misled by a friend I really wanted to believe was telling me the truth when he described the circumstances of his conviction. I believe strongly in giving people second chances – but sometimes you discover that chance is not as warranted as you may have hoped."
Black went on, explaining that "(after) learning more about the affidavit, transcripts and additional details surrounding Steve Striegel’s sentence, I am deeply disappointed in myself. I apologize to all of those, past and present, I’ve let down by having Steve around them without giving them a voice in the decision." This part is key as it's understood that Black told none of the cast or crew about Striegel's conviction prior to casting him.
Munn's argument was that not only was she not told about Striegel's conviction, but that she would have to share a scene with him. In an interview with the LA Times, Munn specifically argued this point, saying that she didn't accept Black's apology as it wasn't given to her privately and that "a real apology has to be done privately."
"Whatever small amount of power or fame that I've created, I'm not willing to share it with someone like that. And if Shane wants to share his platform and his power with someone like that, that's on him. But I deserve to make that choice for myself," said Munn.
The press tour, meanwhile, has been cut short and many of the cast did not share interviews with Munn in the wake of the controversy and her statements. Munn admitted in an interview with Vanity Fair that she felt dismayed by the cast of 'The Predator' who gave Black "a standing ovation" after the movie premiered, adding that "I kind of feel like I’m the one going to jail."
"I didn’t go to jail, I didn’t put this guy on our set. I had this scene deleted. Thank God, honestly, that there is social media. It’s the fans and news outlets that’s confirming it to me that what I did was the right thing. If I didn’t have that feedback, I’d kind of go a little crazy thinking, Why am I being treated like this? That’s not O.K., to feel like the bad guy."
The movie itself, meanwhile, has been getting mixed reviews.
