Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black and his co-writer Fred Dekker have turned in a first draft of their script for the upcoming Predator sequel, one which has been billed as a “reinvention” for the dormant sci-fi series.
Word comes by way of Dekker’s Facebook page (via AVPGalaxy.net), revealing that the pair have officially wrapped up work on an early treatment of the long-in-development project. Initially pitched as a total reboot of the Predator franchise, it’s understood that Black and Dekker’s vision developed into a self-professed “inventive” sequel.
Beyond that, it’s unclear whether the pair’s overhaul will circle back to the original and set about creating a less-is-more science fiction film, perhaps even pitting a new task force against the titular and inimitable alien, or dipping its toe into the lesser-explored sections of the lore surrounding the Predator’s home planet of Yautja Prime.
[zerg]One way or the other, producer John Davis has full faith in Black and Dekker’s pitch, claiming that: “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.’”
Starring in the cult ’87 original as Hawkins, Shane Black is no stranger to the Predator universe and we’re hoping that, setting aside the middling 2010 reboot and the deplorable Alien crossovers, the writer-director can steer the property back towards its roots: a low-key and under-appreciated sci-fi gem. No release date has been set at the time of writing.