S Poddar
The Killer’s Game, starring Dave Bautista, has set a new box office record for the actor, but unfortunately, it’s for the lowest-grossing opening weekend of his career. This new action-comedy, which also stars Sofia Boutella, Pom Klementieff, Terry Crews, Scott Adkins, and Ben Kingsley, tells the story of a hitman (played by Bautista) who orders a hit on himself after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. However, things take an unexpected turn when he finds out he was misdiagnosed, leaving him to battle multiple assassins who are now after him.
The film was released the same weekend as other notable projects, including the horror remake Speak No Evil and the documentary Am I Racist?, both of which added strong competition at the box office.
As of Sunday morning, projections indicate that The Killer’s Game will bring in a modest $2.6 million from 2,623 theaters during its three-day opening weekend. This figure positions it at sixth place in the domestic box office rankings. Am I Racist? takes the fourth spot, while Speak No Evil claims second place. Both, however, trail behind the horror hit Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which continued its successful run in its second weekend.
This $2.6 million debut marks a significant low for Bautista’s box office record, surpassing his previous low of $3.2 million for the 2018 film Hotel Artemis. While the opening weekend performance is disappointing, it doesn’t necessarily predict the long-term fate of the film. However, it does raise questions about Bautista’s ability to carry a movie as the primary lead, given his stronger track record as part of ensemble casts.
What This Low Opening Means for The Killer’s Game
The underwhelming debut of The Killer’s Game reflects a potential challenge for Dave Bautista in roles where he is expected to carry the film as the lead. Throughout his career, Bautista has enjoyed success in numerous hit movies, but many of these projects have featured him as part of an ensemble cast. This includes blockbusters like Dune and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, where he plays significant but supporting roles.
In comparison, Hotel Artemis, which also had a relatively low box office debut, was another ensemble film. However, Bautista’s more successful ensemble ventures, such as Glass Onion—the 2022 Knives Out sequel—performed better. Glass Onion opened to $9.4 million despite being shown in just 696 theaters during its pre-Netflix limited release. This demonstrates that Bautista’s strongest box office performances often come when he’s part of a larger, well-rounded cast.
To better understand where The Killer’s Game stands among Bautista’s lowest-grossing films, here’s a comparison of his opening weekends for movies released in more than 100 theaters:
| Title | Opening Weekend |
|---|---|
| The Killer’s Game (2024) | $2.6 million |
| Hotel Artemis (2018) | $3.2 million |
| The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) | $7.9 million |
| Stuber (2019) | $8.2 million |
| Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) | $9.4 million |
| The Boy and the Heron (2023) | $13 million |
| Knock at the Cabin (2023) | $14.1 million |
| Riddick (2013) | $19 million |
| Blade Runner 2049 (2017) | $32.7 million |
| Dune (2021) | $41 million |
As this list shows, The Killer’s Game is now Bautista’s lowest-grossing opening weekend, even compared to previous films where he played a leading role. Other lead role projects, like Stuber and Knock at the Cabin, fared better, showing that his box office potential is often tied to the ensemble dynamic or strong co-leads.
It’s important to note that the data excludes My Spy (2020), which was released on Prime Video during the pandemic when theaters were closed. Despite its streaming debut, My Spy performed well enough to secure a sequel, showing that Bautista can still draw an audience, even if the metrics differ from traditional box office numbers.
This pattern suggests that Bautista excels in projects where he shares the screen with other prominent actors, rather than carrying the film entirely on his own. The future success of The Killer’s Game will depend on whether it can build momentum over the coming weeks, but this low opening might pose a challenge for Bautista’s appeal as a box-office draw in lead roles.
Ultimately, while this film’s performance doesn’t undermine Bautista’s status as a strong and reliable actor, it may influence the types of projects he chooses moving forward. If The Killer’s Game doesn’t pick up at the box office, it could signal that his strongest roles remain in ensemble casts, where the collective star power drives the success of the film.
