After teasing fans with a minimalist poster, Lionsgate released today a trailer for its upcomingaction-comedyThe Killer’s Game. The story centers arounda skilled assassinwho orders a hit on himself after he discovers he has a terminal illness. The problem is, the diagnosis was wrong, and he now has to fend off the people he put on his own track. The movie is set to premiere in theaters on September 13.
The trailer forThe Killer’s Gameunderscores the same idea of the movie’s poster:Dave Bautista’s (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) character Joe Flood has kind of backed himself into a corner, and he’ll have to protect himself against killers who are as skillful as he is. He’ll also have a hard time explaining to vicious assassins why there isn’t a bounty on his head anymore — especially when the killers have made a game out of it and targeted his girlfriend.
If the premise wasn’t curious enough,The Killer’s Gameensemble cast also help make it a must-watch. It featuresSofia Boutella(Rebel Moon), Ben Kingsley (Shang-chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings),Scott Adkins(John Wick: Chapter 4),Terry Crews(Brooklyn Nine-Nine),Daniel Bernhardt(Atomic Blonde) andAntonia Desplat(Shantaram).
Who’s The Team Behind ‘The Killer’s Game?’
The Killer’s Gameis directed byJ.J. Perry, a stunt performer-turned director whose skills come in hand when helming action flicks. Perry worked in the stunt department of titles such asJohn Wick 2,Avatar: The Way of WaterandF9. He was also a second unit director inBlue Beetle,The Fate of the Furious,Warriorand many others. The screenplay is byJames Coyne(A Certain Justice),Simon Kinberg(X-Men: Dark Phoenix) andRand Ravich(LifeTV series), who based the story on the novel of the same name by authorJay Bonansinga.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter,The Killer’s Gameadaptation has been in several people’s minds for the better part of the last two decades. During different times, it was attached to names likeJason Statham(Beekeeper),John Woo(Face/Off), andWolfgang Petersen(Troy). Back when the movie was officially announced in early 2023, its producerAndrew Lazarcelebrated the team that they were able to assemble and stated that they “searched far and wide and we finally found the perfect Joe Flood in Dave Bautista, who balances compelling action and incredible comic timing better than anyone else. And with JJ Perry at the helm, we know this film will deliver the kind of wholly original and unique action that global audiences crave.”
