8 Reasons You Should Be Excited For The Predator

The man, himself. Shane Black is an uber-talented write and director and is in every way the perfect man for the job of retooling the Predator franchise.

Black's history with the franchise goes all the way back to the first film, in 1987. Though a relative newcomer at the time, Black had already made a name for himself as an extremely talented writer. His scripts for both Lethal Weapon and Monster Squad had both been picked up by major studios shortly before Predator began casting. Director John McTiernan admitted years later that he cast Black with the intention of getting him to do on-set rewrites once they were all stranded out in the jungle together during production.

While the details of the exact amount of work he did on the script remain vague even decades later, Black's fingerprints can be found all over the structure and dialogue of the original film. Black's writing style has always been a key part of the DNA of Predator, and so to see him come back to write and direct this new installment is a monumental occasion.

It's also worth noting, Shane Black doesn't make bad movies. Every feature film Black has written and directed has been extremely well-received by fans and critics alike. From smaller films like The Nice Guys to big summer tentpoles like Iron Man 3, Black makes great films that turn their respective genres on their heads and subvert expectations to deliver truly thrilling experiences.

By all accounts, The Predator looks to be one of his grandest accomplishments yet.