Drew McIntyre, Marko Zaror learned new skills for 'Killer's Game'

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Drew McIntyre and Marko Zaror said they learned new skills for their roles in The Killer's Game. The WWE star and the martial artist play assassins who try to gain a contract on retired hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista).

The Killer's Game, in theaters Friday, is McIntyre's first movie, and it credits him by his born Scottish name, Drew Galloway. He said he learned the difference between performing before a live audience in the wrestling ring and fighting in film.

"It's fun learning if you throw the punch from this angle; this camera angle's going to make it look awesome," McIntyre, 39, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "Position your body this way; don't be so big with certain movements."

McIntyre plays Rory McKenzie, one half of a team of Scottish assassin brothers. British martial artist Scott Adkins plays his brother, Angus, putting on a thick accent.

As a born Scotsman, McIntyre said he reverted to the accent he spoke with before former WWE CEO Vince McMahon ordered him to take elocution lessons.

"No one understood me for the first five years and I had to tweak my accent," McIntyre said. "You have to speak clearly, especially in a Scottish accent, or you're not going to get microphone time."

Killer's Game director J.J. Perry gave McIntyre license to improvise Scottish slang in character. He said he drew on slang he used as a child, including some Scottish profanity.

"A severe Malky's the headbutt," McIntyre said. "'I'm gonna give you the severe Malky' is I'm going to headbutt you in your face."

Each assassin attempting to get the contract on Flood has a unique persona and characteristics. El Botas (Zaror) is a flamenco dancer who adds a flourish to his killing moves.

The Chilean martial artist said Perry allowed him to choose Botas' dance style.

"I picked flamenco because of the passion," Zaror, 46, said. "For example, the finishing moves are a flamenco pose or [do] a spinning kick, then you add a flamenco dance or a step into another punch."

During rehearsals for his fight scene with Bautista, Zaror would suggest flamenco moves to the fight choreographers.

"I can continue the pose with a spinning kick to continue the flow of the movement," Zaror said.

The wrestler said Bautista suggested McIntyre to Perry. Though they never faced each other in the ring, Bautista knew of McIntyre's work in the WWE.

"J.J. had the idea for these Scottish brothers," McIntyre said. "Dave was like, 'I know that guy exists. He's Scottish. He's huge, and when he speaks too fast, I can't understand him.'"

McIntyre flew back and forth between the Budapest production and his WWE engagements. He said he wants to be the first crossover WWE actor to make movies while still performing regularly, as opposed to Dwayne Johnson, John Cena and Bautista, who transitioned to movies during breaks near the end of their wrestling careers.

"I don't know any different," McIntyre said. "My whole life has been traveling the world nonstop, wrestling."

Perry brought Zaror into The Killer's Game. They met on the stunt team for the 2003 Dwayne Johnson film, The Rundown, which was Zaror's first stuntman job.

They subsequently worked together on Machete Kills, in which Zaror was an actor, and Gemini Man, in which Zaror was a performance capture artist for the young Will Smith character.

"J.J. was like my big brother on The Rundown," Zaror said. "He really guided me and taught me the logistics of being in such a big movie like that."

Zaror continues making his own martial arts movies in Chile, like last year's The Fist of the Condor. He also continues getting Hollywood work, like Alita: Battle Angel and last year's John Wick: Chapter 4, in which he fought Keanu Reeves.

Zaror said Wick opened up a lot of doors for him in Hollywood, including The Killer's Game. He has also wrapped the film Diablo, also with Adkins, Fight or Flight and his English-language leading debut in Affinity.

"I think that's a big step in my career," he said of Affinity. "Hopefully, that will open the doors to create more projects."

Fist of the Condor 2 still is a possibility should distributor Well Go USA give him the green light. Until then, Zaror has been busy with this year's films.

"We already have some ideas for the script and working on the story, so I really want to do Fist of the Condor 2," Zaror said. "It's my dream."