Former MMA fighter-turned-Hollywood superstar Dave Bautista was in attendance at Sundance Film Festival to promote his war drama Bushwick, proving that, although the actor has two 2017 tentpoles to look forward to in Guardians 2 and Blade Runner 2049, Bautista still has a desire to duck under Hollywood’s blockbuster scene once in a while to work on smaller, low-key projects.
Collider caught up with the fan-favorite actor to discuss all things Bushwick, though it wasn’t long before conversation swerved toward those aforementioned studio movies. When quizzed about his involvement in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, Bautista was understandably coy, but he did hint at his “very cool role” opposite Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas and the sequel’s ensemble cast. One thing’s for sure; he won’t be donning heavy prosthetics a la Drax the Destroyer.
“It’s very obvious that it’s me. It’s a very cool role, but I think the film itself is going to be so huge, as well as Guardians, but people are very familiar with Guardians. It’s really not the same, because people have been waiting 30 years for a sequel to Blade Runner, so there’s just such a high anticipation.”
On the topic of working under Villeneuve and his long-time DP Roger Deakins (Prisoners, Sicario), Dave Bautista gushed with enthusiasm, before pinpointing Ryan Gosling as the one actor he “couldn’t stop hugging.” Hey, we all know how much Drax likes to distribute hugs to those in need – whether they ask for them or not.
“It was weird (laughing). It is a little embarrassing to admit, but the biggest deal for me — and I love Harrison Ford, I’m a huge Harrison fan — but the biggest deal for me was Ryan. I couldn’t stop hugging the poor guy.”
Boasting the “same genre [and] same atmosphere” as its beloved forebear, Blade Runner 2049 is expected to hit theaters on October 6th. Next up for Bautista though is the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which premiered the first sample from its official score earlier today ahead of a release on May 5th.