Ice Cube is reportedly negotiating to star opposite actor Dave Bautista in D.J. Caruso’s upcoming adaptation of Jay Bonansinga’s 1997 novel, Killer’s Game. The project, according to Mike Fleming Jr. at Deadline, marks the latest development following 20 years of languishing between hands of studios and directors who’ve passed it up, including Jason Statham.
Bautista, who was cast back in April, will star as Joe Flood, a principled veteran assassin who learns he is dying. Thinking his days are numbered and refusing suicide as it goes against his Catholic principles, he stakes a multi-million dollar prize on his own life, only to realize that he’s been misdiagnosed and is still in perfect health. Now he’s forced into a breakneck fight for survival against hungry gamesmen out for blood and a six-figure boost.
Cube, as the report elucidates, will play one of the gamesmen who will hunt Flood down until game over. The film will reunite Cube with Caruso following the actor’s appearance in Paramount’s 2017 release, xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage.
Andrew Lazar is producing with Endurance’s Steve Richards, Scott Lambert and Kia Jam.
Bautista will next be seen in Fox’s My Spy later this year, preceded by the July 12 release of Michael Dowse’s action comedy, Stuber with Iko Uwais, as well as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and a forthcoming re-release of Avengers: Endgame with newly-added footage.