How ‘Deadpool’ helped save the ‘Predator’ reboot from a PG-13 rating

Another director has come forth to testify on the lasting effects of Fox’s “Deadpool.” It turns out that the R-rated superhero feature saved yet another movie from PG-13 purgatory, Shane Black’s “Predator.”

Black, who directed “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “Iron Man 3” and the recent “The Nice Guys,” has long been working on a way to revive the “Predator” monster movie franchise. And seeing as Black was actually cast in the original 1987 feature as character Hawkins, he may have a few ideas on what made this ‘80s alien feature work and that includes the new movie’s rating. No more can we live in a world of PG-13 Predators.

In an interview with the website Screenrant, Black explained that an R rating was one of the conditions he gave the studio before agreeing to direct the next “Predator” movie.

The new film “has to be the same rating as the first one, which was R,” Shane said. “We probably could have gotten more money to do it as PG-13. But I actually think that although that seems like good logic, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. I don’t think the fans want a PG-13 Predator.”

He credited his past work on “Iron Man 3” as opening a few doors for his next project, but also gave props to this year’s can-do, curse-heavy superhero movie “Deadpool.”

“Before Deadpool everyone was saying exactly the opposite,” Shane told Screenrant. “It’s only been recently that this sort of thing has become more palatable to the decision makers.”

As for his Predator film, Black is ready for something new. He compared his vision to what Fox is crafting with its new “Planet of the Apes” franchise reboot. Instead of just tacking on another film to the series, it sounds like he’s gearing up to goose the Predator franchise as a whole.

The last Predator film, “Predators,” upped the alien ante with not just one, but many Predators forced to fight the worst-of-the-worst humans captured from various spots on Earth. The 2010 film did not ignite the franchise as the studio hoped, so perhaps turning back to a member of the cast who was there for the original will help capture the magic that is watching Arnold Schwarzenegger punch a crab-faced alien in the face. Look, as long as it has gigantic muscle-bound high fives and glowing green blood, that’s one good step in the right direction.