Deadline reports Benicio Del Toro is in early talks to star in The Predator, a reboot of Fox’s 1987 sci-fi classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Details are scarce about the project, but The Hollywood Reporter adds that the reboot is “an ensemble piece anchored by the character to be played by Del Toro.”
Shane Black is directing the reboot, which has a release date set for March 2, 2018. Shane Black was also involved in the original Predator, although not how you might guess. The writer/director was in front of the camera, playing Rick Hawkins, the first member of the team to be killed by the Predator. In the same year, two films he wrote or co-wrote were also released, and you may have heard of them: Monster Squad and Lethal Weapon. Good year for Shane Black.
Black’s Monster Squad co-writer Fred Dekker is also writing The Predator, just to steep this thing more in 1987. As for Benicio Del Toro, his deal reportedly hinges on fitting everything into his schedule, as he’s already signed to do Sicario sequel Soldado and play a villain in Star Wars: Episode VIII. But landing him to lead an ensemble in The Predator is one way to get my attention. Like the Predator, he’s a high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.
(Via Deadline and the Hollywood Reporter)
