Dave Bautista

Source: Gage Skidmore / Wilki Commons

Dave Bautista

STXfilms has picked up Dave Bautista sci-fi adventure Universe’s Most Wanted for the US, UK, and India in a deal with AGC Studios and CAA Media Finance.

Production is scheduled to begin start in Melbourne, Australia, in late July. Roadshow is distributing the film in Australia and New Zealand, and the production is supported by Film Victoria.  

Brad Peyton (Rampage, San Andreas) will direct from a screenplay by F. Scott Frazier (xXx: Return Of Xander Cage) and Jimmy Loweree about a small town that gets a big surprise when a spaceship carrying the universe’s most wanted and dangerous criminals crash lands in their backyard.

Soon the sheriff and his son become heroes when they find themselves helping an intergalactic peacekeeper (Bautista) to keep the ragtag group of alien prisoners from escaping and taking over the world.

Peyton is producing via his ASAP Entertainment along with ASAP’s Jeff Fierson. Bautista (Army Of The Dead, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Dune) will produce via his Dream Bros Entertainment, along with Dream Bros’ Jonathan Meisner, and AGC Studios chairman Stuart Ford. AGC’s Miguel Palos Jr. and Linda McDonough are executive producers alongside Carsten Lorenz.

The deal builds on the STX-AGC relationship following their partnership on Queenpins, the upcoming comedy starring Kristin Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn, Bebe Rexha, and Paul Walter Hauser. The deal also reteams STX with Bautista, who starred in My Spy, which debuted on Amazon Prime and inspired development on a sequel.

AGC struck previously announedinternational sales on the title, introduced at virtual AFM. It has gone in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Constantin Film); France (Metropolitan); Latin America, Spain, Italy and Portugal (Vertice Cine); Canada (Elevation Pictures); CIS and Baltics (Volga Film); Benelux (The Searchers); Eastern Europe and Turkey (SPI International); the Middle East (Selim Ramia & Co); Israel (United King); South Africa (Empire Entertainment); and airlines (Echo Lake Entertainment).

In Asia, the sci-fi has sold to South Korea (Joy N Cinema); Taiwan (Long Shong International); Thailand (Sahamongkolfilm); Hong Kong (Panorama Entertainment); and the Philippines (Pioneer Films).