Shane Black: Schwarzenegger In Talks For ‘The Predator’

Shane Black dropped a bomb some time ago by announcing a new Predator movie, with himself writing and possibly directing.  He didn’t speak much about it, which I get – he’s got a movie before then to hype (Nice Guys) – but he did come out once and denounce careless talk that it was a reboot.  It’s a sequel.

Now there is more talk from Shane Black.  Speaking to Thrillist, Black says;

“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.” “Shit, that sounds interesting.”

It’s Shane Black for fuck’s sake, so I’m willing to digest those words as real hype.  He’s not a yes-man who has to regurgitate P.R. speak, he seems genuinely interested.  But also, Black confirmed that Arnold Schwarzenegger was ‘in talks’ to appear in the movie.  Well, on the one hand, Arnold is getting on in age.  On the other…