"Sicario" star Benicio Del Toro is in talks to star in Shane Black's "The Predator" reboot for 20th Century Fox. The film is a reboot of the alien action "Predator" franchise.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plot details of "The Predator" are being kept hidden in mud. However, the new movie is said to be an ensemble piece anchored by the character to be played by Del Toro.
The actor and the studio have been dancing for months around this project "The Predator". One challenge has been Del Toro's schedule. It seems that it has been cleared. A February start date is being planned.
"Predator" was the 1987 muscle-bound action movie that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura as commandos being stalked in a jungle in Central America by a fearsome alien (Kevin Peter Hall), Variety reported. John McTiernan was the director back then. The original movie was one of the films that cemented Schwarzenegger's star power.
Fox released "Predator 2" in 1990 and "Predators" in 2010. The crossover films with the Alien franchise included "Alien vs. Predator" in 2004 and "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" in 2007.
Del Toro made appearances in "Guardians of the Galaxy" back in 2014 and "Sicario" last year. He is set to join the cast in "Star Wars: Episode VIII." He now has the potential to have its own franchise as a sequel in "Soldado" that focuses on his assassin character. He is repped by CAA, LBI Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson.
The script for "The Predator" is written by Fred Dekker. The 1980s producer mainstays are John Davis, Joel Silver, and Lawrence Gordon with hopes to begin shooting next year. Fox has already scheduled the alien movie for an opening on Feb. 9, 2018.
Watch the video of whether Arnold Schwarzenegger will be back for "The Predator":