Shane Black reveals how Fox convinced him to make The Predator

In the decades since Arnie first slathered himself in mud to take out an unseen beastie, we've seen numerous Predator sequels, crossovers and whatever Predators was. It's no secret that Fox plans to revive the franchise (again) with a new sequel written and directed by Shane Black called.... The Predator. If you're a bit cautious about the news, then you're not alone: even Black was reticent to accept the gig.

"They called me and I was reluctant," Black tells The Thrillist. "I said, 'Look. You guys at Fox, I mean, I enjoy these movies, but we’ve been churning out these AVP whatever, they each cost a certain amount of money, they’re okay, but there’s no effort to elevate them or make them any kind of an event.' They’re just sort of another Predator."

You can't argue with him there. The Alien vs. Predator movies didn't quite manage to capture what made the comics work. But it was Fox's counter-offer that changed Black's mind. “'What if we said to you we want to reinvent this, and really treat it with as much of an event status, or as much hoopla as we would the Alien prequel, which is coming out also? We really want to make this something. The kind of movie that people line up for.' I said, 'Really, you’ll spend a bunch of money?' They go, 'Yep.' I go, 'Make it really scale, spectacle?' 'Yep.' 'Shit, that sounds interesting.'”

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"I think there’s an expansion that needs to take place," he adds. "They said, basically, if I wanted to make Predator but treat it like it was Iron Man III instead of just another little movie. I said, 'Let’s really do it right this time'.”

Turning the movie into a big, brassy blockbuster would definitely be one way to revitalise the brand. Seeing as Deadpool's proven that an R-rating isn't the dreaded kiss of death, The Predator could become something more than just a small genre movie. And with talk of Arnie's potential return? It could be a serious box office contender.

Directed by Shane Black, The Predator opens March 2, 2018.

Images: Fox

Gem Seddon is a freelance writer working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.