Dave Bautista to star in action-comedy The Killer’s Game

Lionsgate announced today that Dave Bautista is set to star in The Killer’s Game, an action-comedy from Day Shift director J.J. Perry.

Based on the novel by Jay Bonansinga, The Killer’s Game follows “veteran assassin Joe Flood (Bautista), who is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness and authorizes a kill on himself to avoid the pain that is destined to follow. After ordering the kill, he finds out that he was misdiagnosed and must then fend off the army of former colleagues trying to kill him.” Rand Ravich and Simon Kinberg wrote the script, with James Coyne penning the most recent rewrite. Principal photography is expected to kick off this summer.

“We are so thrilled to be making The Killer’s Game with Lionsgate and Endurance,” producer Andrew Lazar said. “We have searched far and wide and we finally found the perfect Joe Flood in Dave Bautista, who balances compelling action and incredible comic timing better than anyone else. And with JJ Perry at the helm, we know this film will deliver the kind of wholly original and unique action that global audiences crave.“

“Lionsgate is the perfect home for this project,” producer Steve Richards added. “They have consistently proven their ability to connect action audiences with the best films in the genre. We are believers that The Killer’s Game is the perfect mix of action and comedy, and right now, there’s no one better at threading that needle than Dave Bautista. We can’t wait to get started.” Nathan Kahane, president at Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said, “Andrew and Steve brought us a package we couldn’t refuse. We foresee strong interest from the marketplace, and we’re confident that its mix of bold action, star power, and fun writing will thrill audiences everywhere.“

Dave Bautista can currently be seen starring in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is expected to be his final appearance as Drax. The sequel finds our beloved band of misfits settling into life on Knowhere. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life—a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray and let us know what you thought of the film as well!