Predator Reboot Director Talks About "Spectacle" of New Movie

Fans of the classic '80s sci-fi action movie Predator had much to celebrate last month when the title of the upcoming reboot was confirmed and a teaser poster released. Now co-writer and director Shane Black has been talking about taking on the job of bringing the classic monster franchise back to the screen as The Predator.

In an interview with Thrillist to promote his his latest film The Nice Guys, Black was asked about how he became involved with The Predator, and what fans could expect. "They called me and I was reluctant," he admitted. "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."

Black went on to explain that The Predator would have a much larger scale than the previous films in the long-running franchise. "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.'"

Black himself appeared in the original Predator, the 1987 smash starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by John McTiernan. To date there have been four further films, including a direct sequel, 1990's Predator 2, two Alien vs. Predator movies, and 2010's Robert Rodriguez-produced Predators.

The Predator is set to be released on March 2, 2018.