Shane Black Q&A at Empire Showing of Nice Guys

[HuDaFuK]

So, Shane Black was asked about the film at the screening last night (not by me, actually).

Most of what he said was restating what he's been saying to other people in the last few days, about it being an event film but that not necessarily equating to having 50 Predators in it, and how he wants to get back the mystery. But he did drop a couple of things I've never heard before.

Firstly, he seemed to imply the film will be considerably longer than 90 minutes.

Secondly, he told us the lead character's name - Quinn McKenna. He pointed out that that could change, but at the moment, that's the name in the script.

Beyond that, he sounded like he either wouldn't or couldn't tell us more (he went on a mini-rant about people these days wanting to know everything in advance, which is fair enough), so I didn't ask any follow-ups. Sorry, Hicks! I tried to corner Joel Silver afterwards to ask if he'd be involved, but I didn't get to him in time.

Oh yeah, Black also had an amusing little rant about Prometheus - safe to say he isn't a fan! Anyway, the whole thing was apparently recorded for Empire Podcast, so it'll probably crop up online before long if people want to listen. There were a few technical issues on the night, but I imagine they'll be able to use most of the interview.

Also, go see The Nice Guys when it's out. It's excellent.

[ROYCE_THE_PREDATOR]

Hey this is Mike I officially created this account, I like it a lot. Are we allowed to put custom Avatars I want to put one of the Badass Royce himself. Thanks

[Corporal Hicks]

Oh yeah, Black also had an amusing little rant about Prometheus - safe to say he isn't a fan! Anyway, the whole thing was apparently recorded for Empire Podcast, so it'll probably crop up online before long if people want to listen. There were a few technical issues on the night, but I imagine they'll be able to use most of the interview.

Awesome. Hopefully that wont take too long to get posted. No worries about not getting the follow-ups in. I know where he's coming from but we just can't help ourselves. I wonder if that means he's going to be a tight-lipped from now on.

Hey this is Mike I officially created this account, I like it a lot. Are we allowed to put custom Avatars I want to put one of the Badass Royce himself. Thanks

I've sent you an PM, Mike. I'll help you in message. And welcome to the club! 

[ROYCE_THE_PREDATOR]

Hey Hicks thanks for the reply I will check later in the day I'm using a phone now so it's alil tuff to get around the Website. It's 5AM here in the US but I will reply to you later throughout the day. Thanks again

[HuDaFuK]

I know where he's coming from but we just can't help ourselves. I wonder if that means he's going to be a tight-lipped from now on.

I don't think so, he was kinda jokey about it. After complaining about everyone always wanting to know he paused and went, "...I'm gonna tell you!" then proceeded to talk about the movie for a few minutes.

[Corporal Hicks]

Ah, excellent! He seems like a straight shooting but pretty good guy so far.

Hey Hicks thanks for the reply I will check later in the day I'm using a phone now so it's alil tuff to get around the Website. It's 5AM here in the US but I will reply to you later throughout the day. Thanks again

No worries mate. Here to help whenever you need it.

[overthere]

No one asked him about the soundtrack yet. I think that's a question he could freely answer, it's not revealing anything but means a lot to the fans.

[Johnny Handsome]

No one asked him about the soundtrack yet. I think that's a question he could freely answer, it's not revealing anything but means a lot to the fans.

They probably haven't chosen a Composer yet, usually a Composer gets on board when the movie starts with post-production.

When they really want to start Shooting in September/October though, they gotta be deeply in pre-production/casting by now, someone should ask him about what Company is doing the Predators. Now that is something he probably could answer.

[Corporal Hicks]

No podcast yet but Empire have done an article on the name: http://www.empireonline.com/movies/predator/shane-black-predator-character/

When first asked about the film, Black was jokingly reticent ("At this point we're thinking we'll project on a screen...it'll be in colour...") but went on to explain his approach. "It's an attempt to 'event-ise' the Predator again," Black said. "[An attempt to] make it more mysterious. The Predator has been so overdone. Every couple of years, there's a knock-off churned out. Very low budget with a guaranteed return."

Black continued by saying he hoped to achieve "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." He also spoke of keeping the relatively intimate scale of the original film: "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."

Understandably, Black kept most of his cards close to his chest. But did reveal one tantalising detail: "The hero of the film, the name I've given the guy, is Quinn McKenna." Quinn McKenna. Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

That could change, Black said, given that the film is still in early stages of pre-production, and nobody has been cast yet (though original star Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he'd open to returning). We have a little way to wait yet: The Predator currently has a release date of March 2, 2018.

[overthere]

Plot twist: Quinn McKenna is Predator's name.

[Predator_Spirit]

Plot twist: Quinn McKenna is Predator's name.

Queen McKenna ? 

[𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱𝔥 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔯]

Oh yeah, Black also had an amusing little rant about Prometheus - safe to say he isn't a fan!

What did he say about it?

Plot twist: Quinn McKenna is Predator's name.

A burly red-faced, whiskey-soaked Predator.

[HuDaFuK]

What did he say about it?

While on the subject of casting in general he got into how they hired a young Guy Pearce to play a very old Weyland when they could've just hired, you know, an old guy. It did actually come up how the original idea was for Weyland to appear as a young man too (I may or may not have confirmed this for them ), hence the casting, but obviously that stuff never made it into the finished movie.

He also made a crack about that scene with Vickers running in a straight line. It was all in good nature but yeah, don't think he particularly rates the film!

[Corporal Hicks]

It's great to know he's aware of issues surrounding other films though. He seems to have a great sense of awareness about the films around him.

[HuDaFuK]

Yeah, he even got into the faults he perceives with some of his own films, which was pretty refreshing to hear. He's not a fan of the last act of The Last Boy Scout, for instance. (I'm kinda with him on that, the film definitely starts stronger than it ends.)

Also, trivia - Shane Black came up with the name Die Hard. That was the original title for The Last Boy Scout, before Joel Silver nicked it for a little movie called Nothing Lasts Forever (after the novel on which it is based) about terrorists taking over an office building. The rest, as they say, is history.