Los Angeles  - Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody is set to star in a remake of Predator, in a role first made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 original, Variety reported Wednesday.

Brody, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a sensitive musician in Roman Polanski's Holocaust drama The Pianist, will play a heroic mercenary who battles alien hunters. The movie, which is due for release next year, will be directed by Nimord Attal and produced by Robert Rodrigues.

The casting of the scrawny Brody in the main role has raised eyebrows among observers who noted that in the original movie the heroes have been played by muscle-bound actors such as Schwarzenegger and former pro-wrestler Jesse Ventura.  dpa