Remakes bad. Sequels bad. Originals good. That seems to be the mentality of the average moviegoer — at least when they’re talking. When it comes time to show up to the movie theaters, however, there is little doubt that recognizable names draw more crowds. You ever wonder why we live in the age of franchises? That’s why. However, among the doom and gloom of lifeless remakes and sequels (hello, hyperbole), there are a few of these types of movies that even the most jaded of fans are looking forward to. Among these is the upcoming Predator film from filmmaker Shane Black.

Unlike most studio directors, Black has a real voice to him. Take a look at Iron Man 3, and from the get-go, it’s clear that’s a Shane Black joint. Perhaps it’s not the proliferation of these franchises that has film fans spent, but rather that the movies that come out of it have a very similar feel to them. You do, however, occasionally get those big budget film with a real voice to it. As mentioned before, Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 was one of those films — and it was ironically panned by hardcore comic fans because it’s unpredictable and misleading use of some of the property’s canon. 

Regardless, he has become a unique voice in the business, and as such, fans have eagerly been awaiting his upcoming Predator film, which is slated for a March 2, 2018 release. With that in mind, one has to wonder when in the hell they’ll be hitting production. Usually a turnaround for a movie from its production start date is twelve to fifteen months, and we’re certainly approaching the end of that range fairly soon. 

Speaking with Comicbook.com while promoting Logan, one of the Predator stars, Boyd Holbrook, stated that Black’s opus would start shooting in “twelve days.” Since the interview was conducted on February 12, then that makes the start date for The Predator February 24, 2017.

This is admittedly cutting it pretty darn close. Had this been more of an indie picture, I’d see no real problem in getting the film shot and cut by then. However, considering the number of visual effects that will likely be used, we can’t help but wonder if they may bump that date a bit, especially if they face any production issues.

However, Black is one of those directors who likes things to run a bit more low-key than a lot of filmmakers, and as such, perhaps we can expect a more grounded take on this gritty franchise — one that doesn’t necessarily require nine months of post production work. We’ll have to wait and see.

The Predator hits theaters on March 2, 2018!

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SOURCE: Comicbook.com