Dave Bautista, Director Brad Peyton Team on Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Universe’s Most Wanted’

Actor Dave Bautista and director Brad Peyton are teaming up on “Universe’s Most Wanted,” a sci-fi fantasy about a small town’s fight to save the world. AGC Studios and CAA Media Finance are launching worldwide sales on the project in the coming weeks.

In addition to Bautista starring and Peyton directing, they will also produce “Universe’s Most Wanted.” F. Scott Frazier (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”) and Jimmy Loweree wrote the script. The story centers on a small town that sees a space ship carrying the universe’s most wanted and dangerous criminals land in their backyard. The sheriff’s son soon becomes a hero as he works with an intergalactic peacekeeper (Bautista) to rally up the alien prisoners and keep them from taking over the world.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to get going on ‘Universe’s Most Wanted,’” Peyton said in a statement. “This is the type of fun, mysterious and irreverent adventure we all need right now.”

The movie is expected to start production in spring 2021. Additional cast members beyond Bautista have not been set yet.

Peyton’s directing credits include Dwayne Johnson vehicles “Rampage,” “San Andreas” and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” as well as Netflix’s post-apocalyptic series “Daybreak” and “Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.” Bautista recently starred in in the family film “My Spy” and the buddy-cop comedy “Stuber.” As Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s been featured in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Endgame” and will next appear in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.”

AGC Studios recently wrapped production on “Lockdown,” a heist movie starring Anne Hathaway, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ben Stiller and Lily James. The company is currently shooting Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi epic “Moonfall” with Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson.

The deal was negotiated by AGC’s VP of legal and business affairs Anant Tamirisa on behalf of AGC; by CAA; by Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern on behalf of Peyton; and by Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein on behalf of Bautista.