Dave Bautista’s STX Comedy ‘My Spy’ Pushed to 2020 (EXCLUSIVE)

By Matt Donnelly

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Dave Bautista’s action comedy “My Spy” has been moved off of its August 23 release date, numerous individuals familiar with the film’s studio, STX Films, told Variety.

The family-centric tale about a hardened CIA operative and his unlikely 9-year-old sidekick is seeking a new date in the first quarter of 2020. It could open as early as January, one of the insiders said. An STX spokesperson had no comment.

Footage from the project, which is directed by Peter Segal (“Second Act,” “The Longest Yard”), played well to movie theater owners at CinemaCon in April, and drew comparisons to the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Kindergarten Cop.” Producers and the studio are said to have full faith in the film but wanted some time between this and the buddy comedy “Stuber,” which opens Friday and also co-stars Bautista.

STX is trying to find its footing after a material loss of tens of millions on the original animated franchise hopeful “UglyDolls,” which has only grossed $20 million at the U.S. box office on a $45 million budget with a marketing spend of around the same. The company has also seen the departure of executives in recent weeks, including COO Tom McGrath and top marketing exec and franchise overseer Oren Aviv.

“My Spy” is a project much closer to the vision the studio declared when it was formed by Bob Simmonds in 2014, who runs the shop in step with motion picture group chief Adam Fogelson, in that it’s a lean-budgeted and star-driven project.

With this film off the schedule for August, September is a month the industry will watch closely for STX as it releases the starriest titles on its slate: “Hustlers,” a film about strippers who take on toxic Wall Street men with Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B., and “21 Bridges,” a crime film starring “Black Panther” lead Chadwick Boseman from producers Joe and Anthony Russo and MWM Studios.