Shane Black has had his hands in a lot of entertaining films over the years, with a very interesting style of creating said films. If you’ve never looked through a Shane Black script, it’s a good time. If you didn’t enjoy his bit part in the original Predator, he’s been creating some of the best action films in history from Lethal Weapon to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. This summer he’s back with The Nice Guys and is currently working on a reboot for the Predator series. But it would seem that a project he’s been planning for quite a while might feature the team up he’s been waiting for.
Apparently Black has been trying to bring Doc Savage to the big screen for quite a while. If you’re unfamiliar with Savage, think of the original Team Venture from The Venture Bros., but incredibly serious and pulpy. Like a slice of Flash Gordon or The Shadow in the earliest days of serialized sci-fi adventure. It might seem like a mistake, but Black’s involvement washes that away. Not to mention he has the perfect actor for the role according to an interview with Thrillist:
Doc Savage is sort of in the ether now. We’re hoping to make it sometime next year. I would very much like to do Doc with a fellow named Dwayne Johnson if we can make that work. I made a decision that Dwayne is the guy. It’s on the back burner while he’s busy.
I could believe The Rock as a scientist, professor, adventurer a lot more than say Denise Richards, but the main sell of the project is the amount of action that can be expected. It might not ever happen if The Rock doesn’t free up his schedule and all, but it would be a movie to see.
Black also revealed a bit about his vision for Predator, promising a blockbuster feel for a film series that he feels has been bogged town by several watered down sequels:
They called me and I was reluctant. 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. “Oh, there’s another one that came out.” They said, “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.” “Sh*t, that sounds interesting.”
I think the first one was great, and it was contained, and it was a perfect little gem for what it was. I think there’s an expansion that needs to take place, and also just a love for that era, that movie, and the mythology of the Predator. I think that they came to me knowing pretty much that… 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.”
It’s nearly impossible to top the first film, despite some interesting attempts with Predator 2 and Predators. A big budget doesn’t ensure some sort of magical film, but it does ensure that Black can do what he wants and give it his best shot. That’s better than attempting to capture the feel of the original in some sort of rehash.
Both projects are definitely wait and see type of deals, but they’re in much better hands than most.
(Via Thrillist)
