A new project featuring cats planned for movie theatres, mobile games, and more! Guess who the protagonist is? The cat. Dave Bautista has teamed up with Steve Lerner, the creator of the hit cat adventure game Stray, to create a new IP called Cat Assassin. Bautista is a former WWE champion and Hollywood heavyweight.
A Multi-Platform Vision Takes Shape
This isn’t just another single-medium project. The Cat Assassin is going to be a content universe that will include animated television, games, and publishing. Bautista’s own production company, Dogbone Entertainment, is developing the movie with Titan1Studios too, so we can expect high production values across the board.
The star on the Guardians of the Galaxy will not be merely a mascot for the project. Bautista has been involved in the creative side of things. Knowing his involvement in the franchise, it makes sense given his past work in films like Dune and Blade Runner 2049.
Enter the Dark World of Anthropomorphic Assassins
The story structure of Cat Assassin is a mix of genres that action fans and people who love noir fiction should enjoy. The plot takes place in a dark city overrun by cats, where the creators can use their imagination to visually interpret the scene.
In the middle of such a dark universe stands Hugh, a master assassin whose skill set has made him both a valuable asset and a dangerous threat in a city that is ruled by crime families. He finds himself involved with different cartels and power brokers.
Gaming Elements Draw From Industry Legends
The franchise’s interactive part is geared to offer something more akin to the video games of the world’s most famous video game houses. Titan1Studios is developing a stealth-action game featuring parkour mechanics similar to the Assassin’s Creed series used in infiltration.
The development team is also building on tactical espionage elements with an emphasis on strategic depth similar to Splinter Cell. Furthermore, players will enjoy the same agile movement mechanics that made Stray memorable, allowing them to embody the smooth and graceful movement associated with cats.
In the game, combat systems will be inspired by the brilliant martial arts choreography of Sifu, which enhanced the game experience by making combats feel fluid, unique, and realistic.
Creative Collaboration Spans Multiple Disciplines
Bautista is excited to work with Titan1Studios on this project. The actor pointed out how impressive the studio’s ability to create animated worlds is, before revealing that he can’t wait for everyone to experience their gaming world.
Lerner and Bautista’s partnership represents a curious coming together of different creative practices. Lerner has a solid understanding of interactive stories and the technical side of developing video games. Bautista has knowledge of fights, choreography, and the audience from his film and wrestling roles.
A Foundation for Expanded Storytelling
The stealth-action game which is in development is not a stand-alone product. The creative team has stated that this first game is meant to set the tone for the franchise and the universe that will feature throughout the overall media.
This approach suggests that fans can anticipate that world-building and character development will be consistent throughout the game, animated series, and any possible publishing. Because of its franchise structure, we get to know Cat Assassin on a deep level, but the stories still work on their own and are coherent.
The Cat Assassin project is an ambitious experiment in multimedia franchise production, combining the proven appeal of cats with action gameplay that is sophisticated enough for modern audiences. As development progresses, this collaboration between established entertainment heavyweights and inventive game developers could create a new benchmark for how IPs evolve across multiple media.
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