Afterburn: Dave Bautista & Samuel L. Jackson to star in sci-fi action movie

Deadline reports that Dave Bautista will star in Afterburn alongside Samuel. L Jackson. The project is a sci-fi action movie based on the graphic novel series of the same name written by Scott Chitwood & Paul Ens and illustrated by Wayne Nichols.

Afterburn takes place in a post-apocalyptic world ten years after a solar flare has wiped out technology across the globe. Dave Bautista will play Jake, an ex-soldier who “works as a treasure hunter recovering valuable objects from the old world for powerful clients. His latest mission is to team up with freedom fighter Drea to recover the Mona Lisa before an unhinged warlord gets there first.” Samuel L. Jackson will play a freedom fighter by the name of Valentine. The film will be directed by J.J. Perry, who made his feature directorial debut with Day Shift, an action comedy starring Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, and Snoop Dogg released on Netflix in 2022.

Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe will produce for Original Films, with Steve Richards also producing for Endurance Media and Dave Bautista through Dogbone Entertainment. The producers have been trying to get this project off the ground for the last six years.

“Afterburn is a terrific action story, combining the fun of Indiana Jones with the near future world building of Children of Men,” Jaffe said in a statement. “J.J. is going to bring this to life in a thrilling way, using real practical stunt work to create authentic, visceral set pieces. Dave is one of the leading action stars in the world today, as well as being an actor with real soul and versatility. So excited to be making Afterburn with them both.“

Black Bear’s John Friedberg, who is handling international sales for the movie, added, “The combination of Dave Bautista and Sam Jackson in an epic adventure is a sure-fire proposition for the international marketplace” added Black Bear’s Friedberg, “With an action master like J.J. at the helm, and incredible producers in Steve, Neal and Toby, this is going to be a spectacular cinematic event.” Production is expected to kick off in April in Europe, so we should hear some more casting news soon.

Samuel L. Jackson was most recently seen in Argylle, which is now playing in theaters, while Dave Bautista will next be seen in Dune: Part Two, which is slated to hit theaters on March 1st.