It’s finally Dave Bautista’s time to shine as a bona fide action lead. The first trailer for The Killer’s Game, an assassin comedy with a star-studded cast and action royalty behind the camera, has dropped. The movie, based on the novel by The Walking Dead comics co-writer Jay Bonansinga, is coming to theaters September 13.
Bautista plays an assassin diagnosed with a terminal illness who decides to put out a hit on himself for a quick death, rather than have him and his partner suffer through the deterioration of his health. But when he finds out his doctor made a mistake and he’s not actually dying, he has to fend for his life against some of the deadliest killers in the world. It’s a bit similar to the set up of last year’s King of Killers, starring Frank Grillo as an assassin who put out a hit on himself, but with a more fun twist and a much more exciting lineup.
Bautista has been largely relegated to side roles in the action genre, and here’s a real chance for him to shine in a genre well-suited to his considerable skills. And you can bet he’ll shine, with the support around him. The Killer’s Game is directed by legendary stunt performer and action director J.J. Perry, who has been involved in a significant percentage of the great American action movies of the past 30 years, from Blade to John Wick. Perry’s feature debut as a director, Day Shift, was a fun vampire action comedy starring Jamie Foxx with creative action choreography and camera work.
Bautista will also have more support than just Perry. The Killer’s Game has a tantalizing cast, with Ben Kingsley (I’m obsessed with how he says “There are only two ways out of the killer’s game, Joseph”), Pom Klementieff, Sofia Boutella, Terry Crews, and WWE wrestler Drew McIntyre all involved. For the action diehards, the presence of Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror (who features heavily in the trailer), and Daniel Bernhardt is especially appealing. All three are legends in their own right, and Bernhardt in particular has made a career of making movie stars look god at kicking his ass (Atomic Blonde, Nobody).
The project’s been in the works pretty much since Bonansinga’s novel came out in 1997. At different points over the past few decades, Wesley Snipes, Michael Keaton, and Jason Statham were each attached in the lead role. But ultimately, it’s Bautista who got the part, and it seems like a promising vehicle for his combination of charm, humor, and physical ability as a former professional athlete.
The trailer advertises lots of action and plenty of gore, as Bautista shoots, stabs, and garrotes his way through a bevy of targets. The comedy’s a bit hit-or-miss for me in the trailer, but that’s how trailers go sometimes. The lineup of talent and the teases of great action are more than enough for me to be counting down the days to September.