The Killer's Game Seems Like a Hilarious John Wick Movie by Dave Bautista
Stars in John Wick-style assassin flick The Killer's Game from Lionsgate scheduled for September 13, 2024 are Bautista. The John Wick films were produced by Lionsgate, and as The Killer's Game teaser reveals, Bautista's next film will likewise include breathtaking, high-octane action scenes and exquisitely timed battle scenes. Not to mention, Bautista portrays Joe Flood, the assassin, a role that promises to offer some of the thrills and tragedies Wick came across. Still, The Killer's Game will have a funny bent unlike the John Wick films.
In The Killer's Game, Flood strikes himself by mistake. Though it is nothing new, Bautista—who has demonstrated his comic ability in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Knives Out series—Pom Klementieff, also from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, and well-known comedian Terry Crews among others will carry this premise. Apart from all else, The Killer's Game will turn John Wick's idea upside down with one especially funny element that might even make the toughest John Wick fan laugh.
The Killer's Game might provide Dave Bautista his replacement action franchise for Dune.
Former WWE professional wrestler Bautista has moved into acting in several big action series, but he regularly shows his range in comedies, dramas, and other genre films. Though he has only starred in single action series episodes, Drax from the Guardians of the Galaxy subfranchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is most well-known recurrent character. His tenure in the role concluded in 2023; his second-largest franchise part also came to an end when his Dune: Part Two character Beast Rabban was slain.
Dave Bautista has also starred in single runs of action series such Blade Runner (Blade Runner 2049), James Bond (Spectre), and Chronicles of Riddick (2013's Riddick). Though he is already scheduled to do roles in upcoming franchise films including My Spy the Eternal City (reprising his part from 2020's My Spy) and Aang: The Last Airbender, neither action-forward enough to appear like a suitable successor for Dune. Still, this new movie could be the secret to opening his future in action movies. Should The Killer's Game's likeness to John Wick include multiple sequels, this may be exactly the franchise to bridge the void in Bautista's present action repertoire.
The Killer's Game wildly flips John Wick's premise.
Flood strikes himself, as was already mentioned, upon learning he had a terminal condition. Later on, though, Flood discovers the diagnosis was incorrect, this does not stop the film's portrayal of John Wick's assassin guild from hunting him. Flood will defend himself against an assassin squad like John Wick does often, but he will do so because someone at his selected medical facility manipulated his test findings.
Simple criminality drives the extreme brutality and anarchy of all four flicks. From a basic crime, the operatic violence and chaos of all four films spread out... The overblown action of the new comedy similarly wrings life-and-death stakes out of an emotionally affecting occurrence that still looks rather trivial when compared to the accompanying turmoil.
The Fate of the John Wick Franchise
Dave Bautista's next Action Comedy Assassin Movie helps to somewhat offset the uncertain future of the John Wick series. Bautista's new attempt comes at an unclear time for the John Wick franchise as Keanu Reeves' main character purportedly killed at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, and the brand looks to be sealing his doom by heading toward spinoff films based on anyone but him. It remains to be seen whether John Wick fans will be interested in following editions without John Wick, making the future of the franchise appear like it's on unstable ground.
The franchise is entering this with a number of interesting and ambitious initiatives, like the next Ballerina feature and the newly confirmed spinoff featuring Donnie Yen's Caine. Only time will tell how they measure up to the original John Wick series and if they will keep audiences coming back for more without Reeves. Until then, though, Bautista is providing some comic relief in a film with a familiar assassin-based premise that will be great to watch while waiting to see if the John Wick franchise will flourish.
One Casting Choice Makes The Killer's Game's John Wick Comparisons Even Better
One casting decision seems to imply that The Killer's Game is really courting these comparisons to the John Wick franchise beyond its superficial plot similarities. That choice is the inclusion of John Wick: Chapter 4 star Scott Adkins in the film as Angus Mackenzie, who is most likely a character related to Drew McIntyre's Rory Mackenzie. It probably won't take much for Adkins to twist his John Wick character to fit the tone of the Bautista movie, given that his villain Killa was already one of the broader elements of the action movie.
In John Wick: Chapter 4, Killa Harkan was the head of the German Table, a branch of the underground criminal organization known as the High Table. While the John Wick cast includes a wide variety of well-known action stars, Adkins is one of the franchise's veterans who would be best suited for the material in this new movie. Although he has starred in more than his fair share of straightforward action titles, he has a broad range of experience in more comedy-forward action movies, including cutting his teeth opposite action-comedy icon Jackie Chan in movies including The Accidental Spy and The Medallion. Below, see a breakdown of some of Adkins' most prominent action-comedy roles.
The Beginning of a New Franchise?
Ballerina will premiere on July 6, 2025, while the Caine spinoff will begin filming in 2025. The fate of the John Wick franchise will be decided exactly one year from today when the first spin-off film, Ballerina, arrives in theaters. The new films will be a new direction and an opportunity for the franchise to continue beyond John Wick's reign.
As The Killer's Game's likeness to John Wick extends to include the film getting several sequels, this might be precisely the franchise to fill the void in Bautista's present action filmography. This new film will be a success, even though it's unclear if the movie will do well.
