Yesterday, news broke that Iron Man 3 director Shane Black would be teaming with Monster Squad screenwriter Fred Dekker for a reboot of 20th Century Fox’s beloved Predator franchise. It came as no surprise that the studio wanted to try their hand (again) at reviving the series, but it was exciting to hear Black’s name involved. However, as is the case every time the words “reboot” or “remake” are thrown around, people tend to get a bit protective of original films, and this case is no different.
Well, we’re happy to tell you that the naysayers have nothing to worry about, because according to Black, his film won’t really be a reboot. He didn’t give any concrete details, of course, but did speak with Collider about his and Dekker’s approach to the material, saying:
“As far as Fred [Dekker] and I are concerned anyway, why start over, when you’ve all this rich mythology yet to mine?”
He went on to say that he personally doesn’t like reboots, but can “really get behind inventive sequels,” and likes “the idea of expanding and exploring the existing Predator mythology, rather than hitting the restart button.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that what director Nimrod Antal and producer Robert Rodriguez tried to do with their 2010 film Predators? That movie saw a disparate group of killers, mercenaries, and convicts kidnapped by the titular alien killing machine and dropped on another planet to be hunted. It had small ties to the original film, and explored a bit of the Predator mythos without going too far down the rabbit hole, a la the Alien vs. Predator movies.
As we know, that film garnered decent reviews but failed to make very much at the box office, becoming a decent but forgettable entry in the series. Maybe all it was missing was talent like Shane Black and Fred Dekker at the helm to really reinvigorate the series. Exactly which portions of the Predator mythology they plan to explore has yet to be seen, but I get the feeling that these are the perfect guys for the job, and stand a chance to knock this one out of the park.
Tell us, what do you think of Black’s plans for the Predator sequel/relaunch? Do they help ease your reboot woes and get you excited for this new film? Sound off in the comments below.
