Dave Bautista stars in a new action movie, WWE wrestler-turned-actor gained attention in Hollywood as a potential leading man in the genre thanks to his muscular build and natural physical abilities. This ultimately led him to land the lead role in The Killer's Game and get a chance to headline a long-gestating project.

The Killer's Game follows Dave Bautista's character, Joe Flood, an assassin whose life changes when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Not wanting to die of the disease, Flood orders a hit on himself so that his death is quick and done by an expert. However, he quickly learns that his illness was a misdiagnosis and that he can't stop assassins from hunting him down. Anyone who watches The Killer's Game will be treated to Dave Bautista's character fighting for his life and attempting to launch a new action franchise. The project's history makes it even more impressive.

Jason Statham, Michael Keaton & Wesley Snipes Failed To Make The Killer's Game Before Dave Bautista

Bautista Wasn't The First Choice

Dave Bautista might be the star of The Killer's Game, but the movie had a long development process that led to various notable actors being attached to it previously. The earliest iteration of the movie was meant to star Wesley Snipes, as New Line Cinema courted the actor in 2002, right in the aftermath of Blade II's release. ​​​​​​​

The studio ultimately failed to lure a director to this version of The Killer's Game, leading to Wesley Snipes walking away from the project. After Wesley Snipes vacated The Killer's Game, Michael Keaton took a turn being attached to it. This came as the project moved from New Line to Paramount and Simon Kinberg jumped on to rewrite the script.

But, Keaton's version of The Killer's Game was lost when Intermedia, the film's producing partner, shut down. It wasn't until 2018 that development picked up again, this time with STX Films envisioning The Killer's Game as an addition to Jason Statham's action movies. However, Statham left the movie a year later to pursue other projects, leading to Dave Bautista's casting.

How Dave Bautista Managed To Get The Killer's Game Made After Over 20 Years

The Actor Waited Four Years For Production To Begin

The road to The Killer's Game's release is over 20 years long, but Dave Bautista is the one who finally managed to help get it made. Wesley Snipes, Michael Keaton, and Jason Statham all failed to bring the action movie adaptation of Jay Bonansinga's book to the big screen. The simple reason why Bautista's version happened when the others did not is patience.

The simple reason why Bautista's version happened when the others did not is patience.

Snipes, Keaton, and Statham were all attached to The Killer's Game for two years or less before moving on. Meanwhile, Bautista waited four years after his casting for production to begin. There was nearly a time when Dave Bautista could've ed Snipes, Keaton, and Statham as actors who failed to make The Killer's Game too.

The movie was speeding through development when he was first cast in 2019, but the project hit roadblocks behind the scenes for the next four years. It wasn't until Lionsgate took control of the movie in 2023 that production dates were lined up, Bautista's ing cast was announced, and The Killer's Game finally happened after all these years.