Ever since he historically wrote and sold the original spec script for Lethal Weapon back in the late 1980s, Shane Black has consistently proven himself to be one of the most unique and inimitable voices in the entertainment industry. While his go-to genre seems to be the buddy cop/private detective noir world, Black's managed to branch out into multiple different genres and franchises over the years, usually to welcome critical and financial success. Now, coming off of the one-two punch of Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys, Black has his sights set on bringing back one of cinema's most dangerous and memorable monsters to the big screen again in The Predator.

Based on a script that he co-wrote with Fred Dekker, Black will direct the new, highly-anticipated reboot in a vehicle that is said to bring the franchise back to its deadly, hard R-rated roots. Black has managed to assemble an impressive lineup for the film over the past few months, with experienced veterans like Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Keegan Michael-Key, Sterling K. Brown, and Thomas Jane, along with some exciting up and coming names like Trevante Rhodes and Jacob Tremblay, all signing on for the new film.

Following the official start of principal photography on The Predator earlier this week too, THR is reporting that Game of Thrones actor, Alfie Allen, has just been added to the film's cast. The report states that Allen will be playing an ex-marine who teams up with several other outsiders, including Holbrook as the film's lead, in a battle to try and stop a group of human-hunting creatures terrorizing nearby citizens. In an even more interesting twist on the franchise, the film will be taking The Predator to a place he's never quite been before: suburbia.

This new comes following the release of the first cast photo for the film (see above), and Black's confirmation/tease that The Predator will definitely be receiving an R-rating, as opposed to the more kid-friendly PG-13 most studios would prefer. The filmmaker noted at the time of the photo's release that it only featured a partial number of the film's cast members, and with Allen's addition, it's clear that Black wasn't kidding either. Most well-known for his turn as Theon Greyjoy in HBO's Game of Thrones, this marks yet another exciting new credit to Allen's growing filmography, which also includes the first John Wick.

Up until just recently, Black and co. have been understandably tight-lipped about any and all plot details from the film, but now that shooting has officially begun, the overall plan for the reboot is becoming more and more clear. Most interestingly, it seems like it'll continue Black's recent trend of giving child actors integral roles in the plot, with Tremblay set to play the son of Holbrook's character. The character has been confirmed to be autistic in the film but also possesses a preternatural ability to learn languages that will no doubt be instrumental in understanding and fighting the Predators that are hunting them. Thanks to both his experience as a filmmaker and history in the Predator franchise itself (he played Hawkins in the 1987 original film), Black has always been a comforting, exciting choice to take on this reboot. So far, he's done nothing but continue to earn good faith from hardcore fans of the franchise as well, in what is shaping up to be one of the more interesting reboots currently making its way down the pipeline.

NEXT: What We Want to See in The Predator (2018)

Source: THR