Earlier, we reported that Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) was being tapped in star in Shane Black’s The Predator – an update of the 1987 favorite that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura as commandos up against a feisty alien in Central America. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Del Toro is out of the project set up at Fox, but rising actor Boyd Holbrook may soon take his place. While Holbrook is a relative unknown, he is quickly becoming a hot commodity and a favorite at studio; reports indicate that a top-tier ensemble may be recruited as well but details have not become known.

Further details regarding the shake-up between the studio and Del Toro haven’t been laid out but scheduling may be the culprit. Del Toro appeared to critical acclaim in last year’s edgy thriller Sicario and is set to soon reprise his role in the sequel Soldado for director Stefano Sollima. He also has a role in Star Wars: Episode XIII, which is, obviously, under lock and key. Yet, Fox appears eager to get The Predator going – Black (The Nice Guys, Iron Man 3) also penned the script alongside Fred Dekker (RoboCop 3).

For Holbrook, it’s an added opportunity to add to what has been a growing and impressive filmography. Currently a part of the cast of the Netflix series Narcos, Holbrook may soon break out in a big way in Logan, the upcoming third entry in Fox’s standalone Wolverine trilogy with Hugh Jackman; Holbrook will play Pierce, the film’s villain. Soon he will be seen in Terrence Malick’s Weightless (perhaps, as Malick films tend to take a while to get to screens), a movie that also features Del Toro. The actor has recently appeared in an eclectic mix of films including Gone Girl, The Skeleton Twins, Jane Got a Gun and the recent Morgan.

The Predator is scheduled to hit theaters on February 18, 2018.