One of the many films coming in the next few years that I am most excited about is Shane Black’s upcoming reboot of Predator. Not only has Black already had experience with this franchise having starred in the original film with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but has long-since proven his writing and directorial talents with ease. Whether it is through films such as Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, and The Nice Guys, he manages to inject a signature style within all of his films that entertain in more ways than one. The thought of him taking over this series almost seems to good to be true – but it is happening!
For a while, there has not been much reports about who has been looked at to lead this new film. The likes of Batman alumni have apparently been considered, with Ben Affleck having been Black’s top choice, and back ups included Christian Bale and Tom Hardy. This does not seem only like a trend with Batman actors, but also Hollywood A-List action movie stars. But according to a new *rumor* from Jeff Sneider via Meet the Movie Press, the agency CAA is pushing for actor James Franco to star in the upcoming film. According to this rumor, he’s pretty high on the list.
Franco starred in 127 Hours for Fox Searchlight in which he was nominated for an Academy Award. He also starred in Rise of the Planet of the Apes for 20th Century Fox and will also star in the studio’s upcoming comedy Why Him? set for release this Christmas. Knowing that the actor already has plenty of experience with the studio, it seems plausible that he could have a good shot at getting the role if the rumors turn out to be true and if Shane Black wants to go with something a bit different with his film.
Remember this is only a rumor so take this with a grain of salt, but if you were to ask me, I could get behind James Franco as our new Predator star. Sure, he is mostly known for his whacky comedies with his BFF Seth Rogen, but he has proven his acting talents in films such as 127 Hours and Spring Breakers. I think casting him as the lead would be an exciting and bold decision if done.
The Predator will hit theaters on March 2, 2018.
Source: Meet the Movie Press via YouTube
