Over the past several years, Dave Bautista has done an exceptional job establishing himself as a serious actor. He was largely underestimated when he landed his first major role in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, but he quickly proved to be a stand-out character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He went on to give a brief but memorable performance in the opening moments of Blade Runner 2049 and went on to work with Denis Villeneuve again in the Dune films. He has also done voicework and starred in many other action, comedy, and drama films, like 2023’s Knock at the Cabin, a horror-thriller from M. Night Shyamalan. Now, via Deadline, Bautista‘s next project has been announced: a sci-fi film called Dreadnought, coming from the producers of John Wick.

Dreadnought is being directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion, both of whom Bautista has worked with before on the 2017 action film Bushwick. The sci-fi flick is being produced by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee at Thunder Road Films, both of whom previously worked as producers on the John Wick films. Dreadnought‘s screenplay comes from Joseph Greenberg, and it tells the story of Max, played by Bautista, who is trying to navigate the difficult life in a “fragile society” in the aftermath of an alien crash-landing on Earth, which caused the rapid spread of a plague.

What Kind of Movie is ‘Dreadnought’ Going to Be?

We actually know a good amount about Dreadnought‘s plot from the film’s announcement, and it definitely sounds like a perfect project for Bautista. The story description reads:

“[Max’s] world was devastated when an alien species crash-landed on Earth, unleashing a deadly plague that claimed his wife and much of humanity. In the fragile society that remains, humans have learned to coexist with their extraterrestrial invaders. But for Max, survival isn’t enough.”

It’s not clear how exactly “survival isn’t enough” will play out in the finished film, but based on the rest of the announcement, it is clear that Max is desperate to protect what is left of his family.

The motivations of Dreadnought‘s protagonist are revealed in the remainder of the film’s brief plot description:

“His older daughter, Greta, is dying from the disease. As her body weakens, an alien Sentinel lurks outside their home, drawing nearer and nearer as Greta takes her final breaths. This silent, unyielding predator is on a mission to collect her body to fulfill an unstoppable metamorphosis ritual. The government sanctions it. Society accepts it. But Max refuses to have anything else taken from him.”

It sounds like the film will be a sci-fi action film crossed with a home invasion movie, with added elements of government resistance. The mysteries of this “alien Sentinel” and the ultimate goal of this “unstoppable metamorphosis ritual” are definitely intriguing.

There is no word yet on when we can expect to see a release date announced for Dreadnought.

via Collider