Summary
Dave Bautista’s upcoming film tries its hand at a premise evocative of theJohn Wickmovies and in a manner the world may need right now. Bautista’s new endeavor comes at an uncertain time fortheJohn Wickfranchise, as Keanu Reeves' title character presumably died atJohn Wick: Chapter 4’send,and the franchise appears to be sealing his fate with moves toward spinoff projects centered on anyone but him.WhetherJohn Wickfans will be interested in subsequententries without John Wick is to be decided, making thefranchise’s future feel like it’s on shaky ground.
Fortunately, the franchise is going into it well-prepared with projects such asthe forthcomingBallerinamovieand the newlyconfirmed spinoff starring Donnie Yen’s Cainethat are exciting and hold promise.Only time will tell how they stack up to the originalJohn Wickseriesand if they can keep audiences coming back for more without Reeves. Until then, though, Bautista is offering some comic relief in a film with a familiar assassin-based premise that’ll be perfect to watch while waiting to see whether theJohn Wickfranchise will thrive.
Ballerinawill premiere on July 6th, 2025, while the Caine spinoff will begin filming in 2025.
The Future Of John Wick Movies Will Be Decided Exactly 1 Year From Now
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 Killer’s Game
Cast
A hitman named Joe is diagnosed with a terminal illness and decides to end his life on his own terms by placing a hit on himself. When he learns the diagnosis was a mistake, he must evade the world’s deadliest assassins who are now targeting him. The action-packed narrative follows Joe as he fights for survival while confronting his past decisions and the relentless killers pursuing him.
Bautista stars in the action comedyThe Killer’s Game, aJohn Wick-style assassin movie from Lionsgate set to premiere on June 05, 2025. Lionsgate was also the studio behind theJohn Wickfilms - and asThe Killer’s Gametrailerattests, Bautista’s new movie will similarly provide impressive, high-octane action sequences and beautifully choreographed fight scenes. Not to mention, Bautista plays the assassin, Joe Flood, a role that promises to yield some of the same types of thrills and calamities Wick encountered. However, unlike theJohn Wickmovies,The Killer’s Gamewill hinge on a deliberately humorous slant.
The Killer’s Gamehilariously finds Flood taking out an accidental hit on himself. While the premise is nothing new, it will be carried by Bautista, who’s proven his knack for comedy in theGuardians of the GalaxyandKnives Outfranchises, Pom Klementieff, also of theGuardians of the Galaxyfranchise, and famous funny-man Terry Crews, among others. On top of everything else,The Killer’s Gamewill flipJohn Wick’spremise with one particularly hilarious aspect that may get even the most hardenedJohn Wickfan laughing.
The Killer’s Game Hilariously Flips John Wick’s Premise
Joe Flood Is On The Run From The Killer’s Game’s Version Of A Guild Of Assassins
As previously stated, Flood takes out a hit on himself, a decision he makes after learning he has a terminal illness. Later, however, Flood learns that the prognosis had been a mistake, butthe news doesn’t deter the movie’s version ofJohn Wick’sguild of assassins from coming after him. Although Flood will have to defend himself from an assassin faction like John Wick so often does, Flood will do so because someone at his chosen healthcare facility mixed up his test results.
The operatic violence and mayhem of all four movies spins out from a simple crime…
In addition to being a reversal of the general tone of theJohn Wickmovies, which as a rule present their premises with sober-minded intensity,The Killer’s Gameoffers a subversion of another major trope from the action franchise. The operatic violence and mayhem of all four movies spins out from a simple crime where the title action hero’s dog is killed and his car is stolen, for which he seeks revenge. The exaggerated action of the new comedy similarly wrings life-and-death stakes out of an emotionally impactful event that nevertheless seems relatively minor when compared to the ensuing chaos.
1 Casting Choice Makes The Killer’s Game’s John Wick Comparisons Even Better
A John Wick Alum Joins Dave Bautista In The Killer’s Game
One casting choice seems to imply thatThe Killer’s Gameis indeed courting these comparisons to theJohn Wickfranchise outside of its superficial plot similarities. That choice would be the fact thatJohn Wick: Chapter 4star Scott Adkins will be appearing in the movieas Angus Mackenzie, who is most likely a character related to Drew McIntyre’s Rory Mackenzie. It likely won’t take much for Adkins to twist hisJohn Wickcharacter to fit the tone of the Bautista movie, considering the fact that his villain Killa was already one of the broader elements of the action movie.
InJohn 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 theJohn Wickcastcontains a wide variety of well-known action stars, Adkins is one of the veterans of the franchise who would be best suited for the material of this new movie. While he has starred in more than his fair share of straightforward action titles, he hasa broad range of experience in more comedy-forward action movies, including cutting his teeth opposite action-comedy icon Jackie Chan in movies includingThe Accidental SpyandThe Medallion. Below, see a breakdown of some of Adkins' most prominent action-comedy roles:
The Killer’s Game Can Give Dave Bautista His Action Franchise Replacement For Dune
Bautista Likely Will Not Appear In Further Dune Projects
Bautista, who is a former professional wrestler with the WWE, has moved on toa career as an actor with roles in various major action franchises, though he frequently showcases his range by appearing in comedies, dramas, and other genre movies. Although he has also appeared in single installments of action franchises, his best-known recurring role is likely Drax from theGuardians of the Galaxysubfranchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His tenure in the role ended in 2023, followed by the end of his second-biggest franchise role when hisDunecharacter Beast Rabban was killed inDune: Part Two.
Other action franchises in which Dave Bautista has appeared in a single installment includeChronicles of Riddick(2013’sRiddick), James Bond (Spectre), andBlade Runner(Blade Runner 2049).
While he is already set to play roles in upcoming franchise installments includingMy Spy the Eternal City(reprising his role from 2020’sMy Spy) andAang: The Last Airbender, neither is sufficiently action-forward to feel like a proper replacement forDune. However, this new movie could bethe key to unlocking his action movie future. IfThe Killer’s Game’s similarities toJohn Wickextend to include the movie getting multiple sequels, this could be exactly the franchise to fill the gap in Bautista’s current action filmography.
John Wick
“John Wick” is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of assassins.
