Dave Bautista Set For HIGHLANDER and ROAD HOUSE 2 at Amazon MGM Studios
Dave Bautista is lining up two big film projects at Amazon MGM Studios, and they’re both the kind of high-energy, fan-favorite titles that will be great for him. Sources say the Dune and Guardians of the Galaxy star is closing deals for Chad Stahelski’s Highlander and Road House 2.
In Highlander, Bautista will take on the role of the Kurgan, the ruthless immortal warrior originally brought to life by Clancy Brown in the 1986 cult classic.
He’ll star opposite Henry Cavill in Stahelski’s revival, which United Artists is producing alongside Scott Stuber, Nick Nesbitt, Neal H. Moritz, and Stahelski’s 87Eleven Entertainment.
The original Highlander followed an ancient battle between immortal warriors, blending past and present-day storylines, and went on to spawn sequels, a TV series, and a passionate fan base.
UA fully acquired the rights from Lionsgate, with plans to potentially expand into a new series as well. Patrick Wachsberger is on board as executive producer.
Bautista is also stepping into Road House 2, joining Jake Gyllenhaal, who returns as ex-UFC fighter Dalton. The sequel comes from a script by Will Beall (Bad Boys: Ride or Die) and is produced by Charles Roven and Alex Gartner of Atlas Entertainment, Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories Productions, and executive producer Josh McLaughlin. This time, directing duties fall to Ilya Naishuller (Nobody), after Guy Ritchie exited the project.
The first Road House remake, released last year on Prime Video, was a massive streaming success, pulling in 80 million viewers worldwide in its first eight weeks, making it one of Amazon MGM Studios’ most-watched films ever.
Bautista’s schedule is packed beyond these two projects. He recently popped up in Liam Neeson’s Naked Gun reboot, is set to star in Paramount Pictures’ The Romantic, has the actioner Trap House and the buddy cop comedy The Wrecking Crew with Jason Momoa on the way, and will appear in Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl and the Zellner Brothers’ alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang.
Source: Deadline