Shane Black Says He’s Making The Biggest PREDATOR Yet

With the arrival of The Nice Guys rapidly approaching, Shane Black's been making the interview rounds. And you know what that means: Predator updates.

In a new interview with Thrillist, Black - who directed Iron Man 3 and pretty much has his pick of projects these days - is asked how 20th Century Fox brought him back into the Predator fold. His answer is illuminating:

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."

I love all of this. I love that Fox wants Predator to be "something people will line up for". I love that they're willing to shell out the big bucks to make it happen. And I especially love that Black's return to the franchise (he starred in the original, don'tcha know) was conditional upon Fox making those promises. It sounds like everyone involved wants this to be the biggest Predator ever. Black continues:

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."

Oh, and as for those rumors about Schwarzenegger returning? Black says:

Still in talks, script still a secret. 

Good enough for me.

How do you guys feel about all this? I'm all for Predator being a giant-ass spectacle, but maybe that's just me. Let's hear what you'd do with a new Predator in the comments below.