AceShowbiz -

20th Century Fox is eying Benicio Del Toro to star in new "Predator" film. Deadline has reported that the Oscar-winning actor is currently in negotiations to take the lead role in the film which will be helmed by "The Nice Guys" and "Iron Man 3" director Shane Black.

Plot details are being kept under tight wraps, but the helmer said earlier this summer that his new sci-fi action film would focus on a hero named Quinn Mackenna. The director provides a treatment for the script which is written by his "Monster Squad" (1987) co-scribe Fred Dekker.

Black, who played a member of Arnold Schwarzenegger's team and was the first to die at the hands of the alien hunter in 1987's "Predator", is expected to begin production on the project sometime next year for an early 2018 release. It is being produced by John Davis, Joel Silver and Lawrence Gordon, who produced the original.

Del Toro starred as Alejandro in 2015's "Sicario" and is set to reprise his role in the second installment of the drug war thriller, "Soldado". He also appeared as The Collector in "Thor: The Dark World" and "Guardians of the Galaxy". The 49-year-old actor can next be seen in "Star Wars Episode VIII" which will hit U.S. theaters on December 15, 2017.