Who will Henry Cavill face off against in Chad Stahelski‘s “Highlander” reboot? Deadline reports it’s none other than Dave Bautista, and a villain role in that film isn’t the only deal the wrestler-turned-actor recently closed with Amazon MGM Studios.
Bautista will also star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the upcoming “Road House 2,” set to shoot later this year. It’s unclear who Bautista will play in the sequel, but it could be another villain role. Let’s pop back to “Highlander” briefly first, though.
For “Highlander,” Bautista will take over for Clancy Brown as The Kurgan, a role that franchise fans will remember as the main bad guy of the 1986 film. A particularly murderous and nasty Immortal, The Kurgan is a contender for The Prize, the ultimate power of every Immortal who ever lived, and he was the chief foe of Christopher Lambert‘s Connor MacLeod. Bautista vs. Cavill in Stahelski’s film should be a good fight in the new film, and Bautista’s casting confirms that Stahelski will indeed tackle “Highlander” before “John Wick 5” comes to fruition. Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt produce “Highlander” via Stuber’s UA banner with Neal H. Moritz and Stahelski’s banner, 87Eleven Entertainment.
As for “Road House 2,” Bautista could be just about anyone in the sequel, the plot of which remains a mystery. Amazon MGM still plans to shoot the film later this year, with “Nobody” director Ilya Naishuller taking for after Guy Ritchie exited the project earlier this summer. Naishuller will shoot a script by Will Beall, with Charles Roven and Alex Gartner producing via Atlast Entertainment. It’s still unclear if any of the cast from last year’s “Road House” will return with Gyllenhaal, including Conor Macgregor‘s baddie henchman, Lukas Gage, and Daniela Melchior.
Bautista remains as busy an actor as anyone in the industry this year. Recent roles for him include a cameo in “The Naked Gun,” with “Trap House,” “Afterburn,” and “Alpha Gang“ coming up. Bautista also stars opposite Jason Momoa in the upcoming Amazon MGM buddy cop actioner “The Wrecking Crew,” which should get an official release date soon.
Stay tuned for more details on “Highlander” and “Road House 2” as they arrive.
