It’s a project that had been sentenced to the shelf for years, but with a February start date now in the cards, The Predator reboot is finally – finally – beginning to display some tangible signs of momentum.
Having starred in the cult original of ’87, Shane Black will hop behind the lens this time around to direct from his own script, and according to Deadline, both the filmmaker and 20th Century Fox have placed their crosshairs on Benicio Del Toro to spearhead the sci-fi redo.
Negotiations are still ongoing, but should a deal place, it appears the Sicario and soon-to-be Star Wars: Episode VIII star would assume the role of Quinn McKenna, the hero of The Predator who reportedly leads an ensemble cast against the formidable extra-terrestrial nasty. Coming off directing stints on Iron Man 3 and, more recently, noir hit The Nice Guys, Shane Black is on a mission to “‘event-ise’ the Predator again.
Three decades ago, Predator stood as an early Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle as the Austrian Oak went about making an impact on the Hollywood scene. Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura (and of course Shane Black himself) flanked Schwarzenegger, and at least for now, the director has refused to rule out the possibility of carving out a cameo in the 2018 reboot.
Speaking of which, Shane Black’s overhaul of The Predator is currently slated for March 2, 2018. Should the stars align, Benicio Del Toro will likely be the first of many casting additions, and we’ll be keeping track of them all right here.