Professionalwrestler turned actorDave Bautista recently starred in an action comedy film calledThe Killer’s Game, and the movie’s poor reception has many wondering where the project went so wrong.The Killer’s Gamefollows a hit man who discovers he has a terminal illness. As a result, he decides to put out a hit on himself. However, when he realizes that the hit is also targeting his ex-girlfriend, he must fight tooth and nail to save her life and perhaps even win her back. The movie was released on July 07, 2025.
Although Dave Bautista first became famous due to his wrestling career, in the last decade or so he has made a name for himself as a serious actor. Bautista’s acting career began in 2006, and has since developed with roles such asDrax the Destroyer in theGuardians of the Galaxyfranchise and Glossu Rabban in theDunemovies. It isn’t always easy for wrestlers-turned-actors to be taken seriously in the entertainment business, yetBautista has succeeded thus far with major franchise roles and critically acclaimed films. Unfortunately,The Killer’s Gamedoes not exactly reflect this success.
The Killer’s Game Box Office: How Much It Made & How It Compares To Bautista’s Other Movies
The Killer’s Game Is Bautista’s Lowest Box Office Ever
First and foremost,the failure ofThe Killer’s Gamecan be seen in the movie’s box office performance. On a budget of $30 million, the movie only grossed $3 million. This sum doesn’t even come close to breaking even, and worse, is the lowest box office performance of Bautista’s career. His previous lowest box office was $3.2 million for 2018’sHotel Artemis.Though the box office doesn’t necessarily ruin a movie’s chance of success, it is definitely telling. A low box office shows that very few people showed up at theaters, which is definitely a bad sign.
$2.6 million
$3.2 million
$7.9 million
$8.2 million
$9.4 million
The Boy and the Heron(2023)
$13 million
Knock at the Cabin(2023)
$14.1 million
$19 million
$32.7 million
Dune(2021)
$41 million
The box office performance ofThe Killer’s Gameis particularly disappointing considering the earnings ofBautista’s other movies. WhileHotel Artemisearned a similarly small amount, Bautista’s next lowest box office performance jumps all the way up to $7.9 million forThe Man With the Iron Fists.Then,The Killer’s Game’searnings look even worse when compared to Bautista’s highest-grossing movies. For example, 2024’sDune: Part Twogarnered $711 million. A strange phenomenon in Bautista’s filmography is that his lowest-grossing films seem to be those where he is the lead actor rather than a supporting character.
What Movies Beat Out The Killer’s Game
One potential reason whyThe Killer’s Gamedid so poorly at the box office could be because the movie earned mixed reviews from critics.The Killer’s Gamehas a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers arguing that the movie has some good qualities, but ultimately, does not stand out in any unique way. For example,the film has exciting bloody action typical of Bautista and a touching love story, but the second half loses steam and the story ends in exactly the way one would expect. These poor reviews likely kept audiences from seeking out the movie.
Notably,The Killer’s Gamehas an 80% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Another issue was box office competition.The Killer’s Gamewas released alongside several other big players. For one, the highly anticipated cult classic sequel,Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,premiered the week beforeThe Killer’s Game.That movie earned $111 million during its opening weekend and continued to bring in consistent earnings from then on. Its current number is $267 million. Furthermore, the horror remakeSpeak No Evilhas also been doing a solid job at the box office, bringing in $11 million during its opening weekend. Thus,The Killer’s Gamewas overshadowed by other, more popular movies.
Dave Bautista Isn’t A Big Enough Solo Movie Draw (Yet)
How Dave Bautista Can Get Bigger
The unfortunate truth aboutThe Killer’s Gameis thatDave Bautista may not be suitable to lead a movie at this point. Bautista is incredibly talented and has proven himself often in the last few years. However, he may not be a big enough star to garner a large audience. In many ways, this is pivotal to a movie’s success, especially in the action genre. Audiences have to be sold, not only on the plot, but also onThe Killer’s Gamecast. With Bautista as the lead and a cast of relative newcomers, perhaps viewers simply weren’t invested enough.
In order for Bautista to be able to lead his own movie, he may need to earn more roles that stand out among the flock.
Bautista is best suited to be part of an ensemblecast. Most of his best roles are. For example,Guardians of the Galaxyhas always been an ensemble franchise, and arguably, it wouldn’t work quite as well without so many unique personalities. The same goes for series likeDune.In order for Bautista to be able to lead his own movie, he may need to earn more roles that stand out among the flock. He needs to prove that his characters are not just pieces of a larger puzzle, but can stand on their own.
The Killer’s Game Will Likely Do Better On VoD & Streaming
What Is Next For Dave Bautista
Luckily,this is not the end of the line forThe Killer’s Gameor Dave Bautista. The movie may have done poorly in theaters, but it could find new life on VoD and streaming. Countless movies, new and old, have had a surge in popularity after being added to Netflix, even when they did less-than-average upon release. The same could happen forThe Killer’s Game,which has a premise that could definitely intrigue at-home audiences. Hopefully, the movie’s performance can improve in the coming weeks and years. This could even boost Bautista’s reputation so his next big movie does better.
The Killer’s Game Ending Explained: What Happens To Joe?
The Killer’s Game concludes with an action-packed ending, and here’s what it means for Dave Bautista’s character Joe and a potential franchise.
Dave Bautista has quite an exciting future afterThe Killer’s Game.Just a week before the action comedy’s release, he appeared in Pamela Anderson’s drama,The Last Showgirl,which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He also has three movies coming up in the next year or two, includingAang: The Last Airbender, Trap House,andAfterburn.Hopes are high that these movies can make up forThe Killer’s Game. More than that, these films can boost Bautista into new levels of fame.
The Killer’s Game
Cast
A hitman named Joe is diagnosed with a terminal illness and decides to end his life on his own terms by placing a hit on himself. When he learns the diagnosis was a mistake, he must evade the world’s deadliest assassins who are now targeting him. The action-packed narrative follows Joe as he fights for survival while confronting his past decisions and the relentless killers pursuing him.
