20th Century Fox is rebooting its Predator franchise, and it’s doing so with a curious (though also fitting) piece of talent in tow.  THR reports that Lethal Weapon screenwriter and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 writer/director Shane Black is poised to pen the treatment for the Predator reboot and is also attached to direct.  The plan is for Black to hand over his treatment to collaborator Fred Dekker, who will then pen the full screenplay with Black acting as overseer.  Black and Dekker (which is probably also the name of their improv troupe) previously co-wrote the excellent horror comedy The Monster Squad in 1987, which Dekker also directed.  Hit the jump for more on the Predator redo and Black's potential slate.

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News of the new Predator reboot comes courtesy of THR, but story details are unclear at this time.  Black actually has a connection to the Predator franchise, as he appeared in a small role in the 1987 original and also performed uncredited rewrites on the screenplay.  The Arnold Schwarzenegger-fronted pic spawned one proper sequel and two dreadful Aliens vs. Predator crossover films before undergoing a reboot in 2010 under the guidance of producer Robert Rodriguez and director Nimrod Antal.  That redo failed to take hold with audiences, but Fox clearly doesn't want the franchise simply gathering dust on the shelf.

It’s unclear what Black’s take on Predator would entail, but if anyone can get me excited for a Predator revival it’s Black.  He’s already proven himself to be an excellent screenwriter with snappy dialogue and a knack for character interplay, and as a director, Iron Man 3 showed he can handle big-budget, studio films.  I’m hoping he does a more personal film first before moving to the tentpole-esque Predator (Doc Savage sounds amazing), and given that this redo is just now being put together, it sounds like that might be the case.

In addition to the 1930s pulp adaptation Doc Savage, Black is also developing a 1970s crime film called The Nice GuysRyan Gosling and Russell Crowe are circling the long-in-the-works project, which could shoot as early as this fall.

So what say you, Predator fans?  Does the involvement of Shane Black make you excited for a new iteration of the franchise?  What do you want to see in a Predator reboot?  Sound off in the comments below.

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Image via 20th Century Fox