Dave Bautista has been on a roll with A-list directors recently, having just graced the screen in Denis Villeneuve's Dune earlier this year and recently wrapping filming on Rian Johnson's hotly-anticipated Knives Out sequel. It has now been reported that he will star in M. Night Shyamalan's next feature, Knock At The Cabin, coming in 2023 from Universal.
Shyamalan's most recent movie was Old, which came out to mixed reviews but grossed more than $90 million at the global box office and was actually the director's sixth movie to open at number one. With consistency in great scripts and compelling stories, stars often line up to be in the Oscar-nominated director's movies. Bautista is a big name and will be joining the likes of Bruce Willis, Mark Wahlberg, and James McAvoy before him as stars of Shyamalan's eclectic mix of titles.
Deadline reported that Bautista is in negotiations to star in Shyamalan's new top-secret movie, Knock at the Cabin. The star then tweeted confirmation of this saying it was "another dream come true" to be able to work with the famous director. The Universal press release announcing the new title in October stated that it will be an "original thriller," both written and directed by Shyamalan. Universal has said the film is due for release in February 2023. So far, no further announcements about the cast have been made.
Bautista has been a very busy man recently, starring in big blockbuster movies like Netflix's smash hit Army of the Dead and currently filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, which is potentially Bautista's last outing as Drax the Destroyer. The former WWE star is also slated to produce and star in a new buddy movie with fellow Dune actor Jason Mamoa, a Lethal Weapon-style action flick that was the subject of much bidding from various studios, with MGM emerging victorious. It's safe to say Bautista is an in-demand actor, and, with the addition of his newly confirmed role with Shyamalan, not just in action blockbusters.
Shyamalan is known for smart thrillers that almost always have a riveting twist, bursting onto the movie scene with the iconic The Sixth Sense in 1999, known for its notorious ending. However, he is somewhat of a divisive figure, with many of his movies being less-than-well-received, including the much-maligned The Last Airbender and After Earth. These were both critical and commercial failures. When Shyamalan returned to his origins of low-budget filmmaking, a string of successful thrillers followed, including the Unbreakable sequels Split and Glass - all of which were made out of his own pocket. Fans are now very excited for his next feature, coming hot of the heels of Old's box office success.
Shyamalan is famously tight-lipped when it comes to his movies, and Knock at the Cabin is no different. He previously divulged on Twitter that he finished the script in August, then began the storyboarding process in early October. It's not clear what role Bautista will have, but his early sign-on means there will more than likely be other big-name announcements to come. Fans will gave to wait until 2023 to see how Bautista fares in his first Shyamalan feature.
Knock at the Cabin is set to release on February 3, 2023.
Source: Deadline