IRON MAN 3's Shane Black Directing New PREDATOR Sequel, Will Schwarzenegger Return?

It sounds like Fox isn't waiting around for Robert Rodriguez's Predators sequel. THR reports that Iron Man 3 and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Last Boy Scout) will return to his early career roots, by directing a new Predator film. His Monster Squad partner Fred Dekker (Tales From The Crypt, Night of The Creeps) will handle the scripting duties with Black helping with the treatment. Black had a supporting role in the original film, and even wrote an early draft that was never used.

Collider adds that Fred Dekker and Black will be scripting the film as a sequel, rather than a reboot. Expanding on existing mythology setup by the original films. This could leave the door open to have Danny Glover or Arnold Schwarzenegger return. There had been ideas from Robert Rodriguez to have Glover and Arnold's characters taken to the Predator homeworld to battle aliens in a gladiator arena. It's unknown if that's the angle for this new film, but with Arnold reprising his classic roles (Terminator, Conan, Twins), returning as Dutch wouldn't be very shocking. Arnold was originally set to cameo in Predators, but had to turn it down and Laurence Fishburne took the part instead. Let's not forget that Shane and Arnold worked together on Last Action Hero.

Fox has a sequel to Prometheus about to begin production too. Could we see all these worlds eventually connected? Or, at the very least better connected, than the horrible AVP films? We should forget those movies ever happened and expect the studio trying to at least have all these films connected. Ridley Scott has already connected Prometheus to Blade Runner, by having Eldon Tyrell as the mentor of Peter Weyland. This establishes the cinematic universe is also connected that franchise as well, which is also getting a sequel.

While having the xenomorphs, predators, engineers and replicants existing in the same universe, but not exactly interacting/fighting each other. Darkhorse Comics is already putting together a series of comics, which connects all the films (Alien, Prometheus and Predator). Connecting the sci-fi horror franchises could be a good idea, but needs to be executed properly. Shane Black has experience with grand mythology and expanding film universes, dipping his toes into the MCU with Iron Man 3.

We recently heard from Sigourney Weaver that she wants to play Ripley again in Alien 5. Considering Fox is pushing forward with so many sci-fi projects, they'll finally give fans an end to the main Alien saga. The studio hasn't commented on this, but I'm sure they're strongly considering it. Since Weaver will be appearing in all three of the Avatar sequels, her awareness will be pushed into the international markets again. Originally, Prometheus was set to be a two-part feature, ending with the second film. Having Ripley return and complete her story would make sense post-Prometheus 2.


SOURCE: THR