Shane Black's Predator film will 'recreate' franchise

Producer offers exciting update on new Predator movie

Back in black

Somehow, I'd completely forgotten that Shane Black was heading up a new Predator film. The writer /director has a long history with the franchise, appearing in the original film as bespectacled grunt Hawkins. He signed on to write and direct a new entry in the long-suffering series last year, alongside writing partner Fred Dekker. The pair promised a film that would take the franchise in an exciting new direction, their focus on "expanding and exploring the existing Predator mythology, rather than hitting the restart button.”

A year later, we still know very little about the film, but its producer, John Davis, recently sat down with Collider and offered a small but significant update on the project. Despite taking time out to put his directorial stamp on The Nice Guys, Davis says Black's Predator script is coming together nicely.

"Shane shot a movie and he’s doing a pilot now, but I’ve read a lot of his script and I think it’s genius. I think it’s genius and I think it’s entertaining, and what it did is recreate a famous franchise in a different, interesting way; looking at it from a different light. He’s just an amazing writer-director. He’s got a way of looking at this that makes you excited again."

We know from previous comments that Black is interested in exploring the franchise's rich mythology, leading many to speculate that the film will focus on Predators, and not humans, for a change. While I'm not completely convinced this will be the case, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in a film that takes a deeper look at the Predator race's history and culture.

Whatever the film does end up being, it will, according to Davis, break new ground for the franchise. 

"Shane’s got a writing partner, Fred Dekker. They’ve been doing it together and Fred’s great. The two of them together, they’ve been in the business for a long time, but the writing is so fresh, the perspective is so fresh. I’m telling you you’re going to get something you don’t expect and you’re going to say, ‘This is the most entertaining way to reinvent a franchise."

I, for one, can't wait to see what the pair come up with. Predators was a pleasant diversion and did a good job of getting the franchise back on track, but the series is in dire need of a film that challenges the status-quo and reinvigorates the formula. Hopefully, whatever Black and Dekker have planned will do exactly that.