‘The Predator’: CAA Campaigning for James Franco to Star in Shane Black’s “Inventive Sequel” — Report
Shane Black has gone out of his way to insist that his upcoming “The Predator” is less of a typical remake and more of an “inventive sequel.” What exactly he means by that distinction is but one of many unanswered questions about the anticipated project. Also on fan’s minds is who will be playing Quinn Mackenna, the new hero taking over for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch from John McTiernan’s 1987 original. (Spoiler: It probably won’t be Schwarzenegger.) The latest word is that James Franco is “very high on the list” to lead the new film.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is said to be pushing the actor for the role, which has a considerable amount of hype attached to it: “Predator” is a longstanding franchise and Black (“The Nice Guys,” “Iron Man 3,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”) is a respected director. The buzz comes from the folks at Popcorn Talk, who take pains to clarify that it’s “rumor, pure conjecture, utter speculation and to be taken with a giant grain of salt.”
READ MORE: Shane Black Q&A: How Ryan Gosling Helped ‘The Nice Guys’ Get Made After 13 Years
In other words, no one knows anything yet. Franco’s potential casting seems likely to incur backlash à la Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” and Jared Leto in “Suicide Squad,” which always tends to recede once viewers watch the movie in question’s first trailer. “The Predator” is set to be released on February 9, 2018.
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