Benicio del Toro in talks to star in Black & Dekker’s The Predator

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

THE PREDATOR, the new film from writer/director Shane Black, might have found its first star! Although it was rumored that the omnipresent James Franco might be filling the lead role, we now have word that Benicio del Toro is in early talks to star. 

del Toro has been a cross-genre star for quite a while, taking gritty badass roles in flicks like SICARIO and TRAFFIC while maintaining mainstream apeal in flicks like GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and the upcoming STAR WARS VIII. We've previously heard that the lead character's name is Quinn McKenna, so this may be the character del Toro would be portraying.

The film's details are very under wraps, but Black, who co-wrote the script with Fred Dekker, says they're shooting for

…the same sense of wonderment and newness that Close Encounters had when that came out. That's what we want. It's very impossible. But we're gonna try. … It doesn't have to be 50 Predators riding motorcycles. It just has to feel like a powerful story that has a lot of flavours and textures.

THE PREDATOR was previously set to begin production this month in Vancouver, so let's see if they can stick to that schedule.

The current projected release date for the film is February 9, 2018. More on this story as it breaks!