Speaking to SFX Magazine, M. Night Shyamalan explained how Dave Bautista landed on his radar in the first place. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” star had actually contacted the “Sixth Sense” director directly, and Shyamalan immediately wanted to meet Bautista for a chat, realizing the actor would be a perfect fit for the character of Leonard in “Knock at the Cabin.” Toss in Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint, Abby Quinn, and Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Shyamalan had a cast that he described as “the director’s dream.”
Here’s the filmmaker’s full quote on the matter:
“I said, ‘You know what, I’d love to meet you. Let’s talk.’ And I was like, God, this guy is exactly the lead character. I mean, he is Leonard. He’s amazing. And it’s Dave, at this moment in his life, in his fifties, that makes him perfect for this. So you add Dave with these people, and Rupert on top of it […] and then Nikki and Abby as well. This particular cast was the director’s dream — having talent that is in the right headspace and ready to be vulnerable.”