Bautista finally gets to lead a big action movie

It's finally time for Dave Bautista to shine as a bona fide action leader. The first trailer for The Killer's Game, an assassin comedy with a star-studded cast and action royalty behind the camera, has been released. The film, based on the novel by The Walking Dead series writer Jay Bonansinga, hits theaters on September 13.

Bautista plays an assassin diagnosed with a terminal illness who decides to knock himself out for a quick death, rather than let him and his partner suffer from the deterioration of his health. But when he learns that his doctor made a mistake and that he is not actually dying, he must fight for his life against some of the deadliest killers in the world. It's somewhat similar to the setup of last year's King of Killers, starring Frank Grillo as an assassin who knocked himself out, but with a funnier twist and a much more exciting lineup.

Bautista has largely been relegated to supporting roles in the action genre, and here is a real chance for him to shine in a genre befitting his considerable skills. And you can bet he will shine, with the support around him. The Killer's Game is directed by legendary stunt performer and action director JJ Perry, who has been involved in a significant percentage of the last 30 years of great American action films, from Blade to John Wick. Perry's directorial debut, Day Shift, was a fun vampire action comedy starring Jamie Foxx with creative action choreography and camera work.