Jacob Tremblay Will Be Taking On 'The Predator'

If you found yourself watching Room in absolute, unbelieving awe at the talents of the young actor who portrayed 5-year-old Jack, then you can look forward to seeing more of his acting skills very soon. The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively revealed that Jacob Tremblay will star in The Predator reboot, and his role sounds tailor-made for his specific skill set. Directed by Shane Black (who starred in the 1987 original Predator), The Predator will star Tremblay as a child with autism, who helps his ex-marine father (played by Boyd Holbrook) fight a set of aliens, thanks to his preternatural ability to learn languages. So far, so very intense, right?

Joining Tremblay and Holbrook is a pretty tremendous cast, which includes Sterling K. Brown, Keegan-Michael Key, Trevante Rhodes, and Olivia Munn. But let's be honest about this, as great as all of these actors are, it's Tremblay who is the most intriguing pick. After all, as an action-centric movie franchise (with a sci-fi twist), the Predator series has always been pretty dark.

And at 10 years old, the actor is playing a role that also sounds more demanding than the standard roles your average child actor is given. But we've all seen what Tremblay is capable of, and that's exactly why he's absolutely perfect to join this particular movie franchise, especially as this particular character.

Because, much like how Tremblay isn't your average child actor, the Predator franchise doesn't include your average action movies. Focused around the premise of an advanced form of extraterrestrial life who can become invisible and hunt humanity for sport, the movies — of which there's been three so far, discounting the crossover movie Alien Vs. Predator — successfully combine action with science-fiction and just the slightest hint of horror. And as any fan can attest, they're also tremendous fun.

And while Holbrook's role as an ex-marine in The Predator makes complete sense in keeping with the canon of previous Predator movies (in which various military types attempt to fight the alien), Tremblay's role suggests the movie may be working on a different level than the rest.

The suggestion that Tremblay's character may be of help in combating the alien lifeforms, thanks to his talents for deciphering language, indicates that violence may not be the core answer in defeating this particular enemy. But instead, communication and understanding are.

As such, this sounds like the sort of role which requires a quiet intensity and an intelligent, formidable power, despite the character's age. And as audiences witnessed in his truly breathtaking performance in the Oscar-nominated drama, Room, these are all traits that Tremblay possesses and uses with a unique aplomb.

As the first child to take on the aliens of Predator, Tremblay will also provide a spectacular juxtaposition against the fierce, fearsome forms. Because though he's probably one of the most talented actors of his generation right now, he's also one of the cutest. And hell, if he doesn't manage to help defeat the alien Predator with the power of his intellect and proclivity for language, then he'll surely just kill them with cuteness.