Sony Pictures has made a wicked catch by hooking Shane Black for their adaptation of the 1970s action book series The Destroyer. The director of Iron Man 3 has become a favorite among studios recently, as he is slated to direct Nice Guys for Warner Bros, an upcoming reboot of 20th Century Fox’s Predator series, as well as the action movie Doc Savage for Sony.

“Shane is a big fan of the original Destroyer book series” producer Charles Roven (Dark Knight trilogy, Batman vs. Superman ) said, “and he has an incredible vision for this film.” Roven is not the only one doling out praise, as Columbia Pictures president Michael De Luca went as far as saying, “The Destroyer is a two-fisted classic and deserves no less than the genius of Shane Black.”

What contributes to Shane Black’s appeal may be attributed to both his understanding of character and plot along with his ability to make movies that are highly successful at the box office. Beginning his career as a writer, Black penned a number of high-profile spec scripts, including Lethal Weapon and Last Action Hero, before eventually stepping behind the camera to direct the action-comedy  Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.  He later had his greatest success with Iron Man 3, which allowed Marvel to perpetuate its superhero regime.

The Destroyer is about police officer Remo Williams, who, after being framed and barely surviving an execution, is recruited for a division in the U.S. government agency, CURE. There he is tasked with killing enemies of the U.S. alongside an Asian assassin. The book series was highly-acclaimed for its suspense, violence, Eastern spirituality, and off-the-wall humor. The adaptation was co-written by book author James Mullaney and screenwriter Jim Uhls (Fight Club), so there should be no doubt that the movie will be tailor-made to appeal to fans of both the book series and the cult classic.