Multiple reports have indicated both Jake Gyllenhaal and director Doug Liman aren’t very happy chappies right about now. And it has everything to do with how Amazon Prime Video (Amazon MGM Studios) plans to unroll their Road House reboot.
Despite scoring extremely well with general audiences in test screenings, it’s currently headed straight to streaming with no theatrical release; something which also “incensed” the recently-fired producer Joel Silver.
Gyllenhaal and Silver went as far as to privately screen the film for Jeff Bezos himself on the billionaire’s yacht. Though that clearly did very little to persuade the company it deserved the big screen treatment. Ah well… a win for the punters who didn’t wan’t to pay for the price of admission, I suppose.
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Not that anyone could ever truly replace Patrick Swayze as the iconic PhD-educated bouncer James Dalton in a Road House reboot or otherwise, but I suppose if it had to be anyone: why not Jake Gyllenhaal?
Filmed everywhere from the Dominican Republic to UFC 285: Jon Jones vs Cyril Gane — wherein Gyllenhaal participated in a mock ceremonial weigh-in before shooting a choreographed cage fight against former UFC welterweight Jay Hieron — this has been a full-scale undertaking.
The Academy Award-nominated leading man is joined by a cast featuring the likes of Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Lukas Gage, Hannah Love Lanier, Travis Van Winkle, B.K. Cannon, Arturo Castro, Dominique Columbus, Beau Knapp, Bob Menery, and making his Hollywood screen debut, former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor.
According to Deadline, here’s what we’re in for:
The new take follows a former UFC fighter (Jake Gyllenhaal) who takes a job as a bouncer at a rough-and-tumble roadhouse in the Florida Keys, but soon discovers that not everything is what it seems in this tropical paradise. While exact details behind who Conor McGregor will be playing are unknown, sources made it clear he would be playing an original character and not himself in the project.
“Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of Road House — a beloved classic,” said McGregor’s own spokesperson.
“While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire. He is eager to get started filming.”
Given the original film’s disappointing direct-to-video sequel back in 2006 starring Johnathon Schaech as the son of Swayze’s James Dalton, you’d think the studio would’ve learned its lesson. The legacy of Road House 2: Last Call, however, has done very little to slow this reboot’s momentum.
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In 2015, the trigger was almost pulled with another UFC legend turned WWE fixture, Ronda Rousey, locked in to star. As for the captain of this ship that never was, The Notebook and John Q director Nick Cassavetes apparently signed on to steer. Now, we’re getting the real deal with Dana White’s top earner.
For those of you who haven’t made time for this quintessentially 80s bit of cinema, here’s the official synopsis for the original Road House:
The Double Deuce is the meanest, loudest and rowdiest bar south of the Mason-Dixon Line… and Dalton (portrayed by Patrick Swayze) has been hired to clean it up. He might not look like much, but the PhD-educated bouncer proves he’s more than capable — busting the heads of troublemakers and turning the roadhouse into a jumping hot-spot. But Dalton’s romance with the gorgeous Dr Clay (portrayed by Kelly Lynch) puts him on the bad side of cutthroat local big shot Brad Wesley (portrayed by Ben Gazzara).
Amazon Prime Video’s Road House reboot starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor is scheduled to premiere on the platform sometime in early 2024 (specific release date TBA).
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