Predators and Shane Black are two things I very much enjoy. The original is one of my all-time favorite monster/action movies and I adore Black’s way with dialogue (I still think Iron Man 3 is one of the top three MCU films). Despite that, The Predator isn’t doing much for me at the moment. Maybe it’s that unconvincing preview that showed off a rather cheap-looking movie, maybe it’s the unnecessary inclusion of a Mega Predator, or maybe the acting just seemed a bit corny. Whatever it is, I’m hoping it was just a bad trailer.
Fortunately, the film’s producer, John Davis seems to be supremely confident about the its prospects, explaining that he intends for The Predator to lay the groundwork for a Shane Black-directed trilogy. However, he might be getting a little bit of ahead of himself, as Black explains that:
“I would love to say we’ve been planning a trilogy, but I take one day at a time. In motion-picture terms that’s one movie at a time.”
I just hope that The Predator isn’t full of sequel hooks. While we’ve seen a little less of them of late, the tactic of assuming a film’s going to have a sequel or follow-up and leaving unresolved plot threads dangling in the breeze isn’t much fun. I’d prefer a movie devote its time to telling its own story rather than thinking about sequels that may or may not happen.
Given how much I like Shane Black, I’m going to assume the trailer isn’t a great representation of the finished product. After all, Davis is enthusiastic about his “voice and signature” and how it “re-enlivens the franchise.” Sure, there’s the somewhat worrying fact that the release date was delayed in order to make The Predator less comedic, which doesn’t quite square with the claims of fully supporting the director’s artistic vision, but as always, the proof will be in the (green, glowing) pudding.
