Robert Rodriguez has established himself in recent years as a master of kinetic, thrill-packed action films, with releases like Grindhouse: Planet Terror and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He also has veered into family-friendly territory with films like the Spy Kids trilogy and 2009′s Shorts. Now he is moving into a new role as producer of Nimrod Antal’s Predators reimagining.Rodriguez also wrote the original script for the film, way back in 1994, but budget constraints forced Fox to forego the project. When the studio decided to update the series last year, however, they found Rodriguez’s script and realized that was the direction they wanted for the film. A bevy of directors went through the rumor mill, including Neil Marshall and Rodriguez himself, but the job ultimately went to Antal, who has also directed Armored and Vacancy.Marketing for the film in recent months has included a four-issue comic book series, expanding on the back story of the film, as well as official games for Apple products. A first look at the film was shown at the SXSW Film Festival back in March in Rodriguez’s home state of Texas. The film itself will be released July 9. So what should viewers expect?The plot involves a group of humans kidnapped by the Predators and used as bait to determine how humanity managed to vanquish the previous Predators. The film is officially only a sequel to the two original films, and attempts to return to a darker vision of the creatures than was shown in the Alien vs Predator films. Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the stars of the first film, was originally slated as a cameo, but ended up dropping out.Still, there are strong indications that the new film will be able to stand on its own. Check it out opening night to see for yourself.