It’s been around 35 years, but fans of the cult classic Road House are in for a treat — its remake is releasing in 2024.
The rough and tough Dalton, played by Patrick Swayze, turned around an unruly bar as a no-nonsense bouncer in the original. And in its newest iteration, Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal takae the reins as Road House’s main protagonist, Elwood Dalton (not to be confused with Swayze’s James Dalton).
“An ex-UFC middleweight fighter ends up working at a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys where things are not as they seem,” the remake’s official IMDB bio reads.
Who else makes up the cast of Road House?
Although exactly how the new film reimagines the plot remains a mystery, a scene was filmed in March 2023 during the UFC 285 ceremonial weigh-in in front of a live audience. Gyllenhaal stepped onto the scale for a 185-pound mixed martial arts clash against the division’s champion, Jack Harris, played by fighter-turned-actor Jay Hieron.
Then, during UFC 285 the next day, Gyllenhaal and Hieron “fought” inside the promotion’s Octagon in front of the event’s crowd. The scene ended with Gyllenhaal continually “hitting” an “unconscious” Hieron as the referee attempted to stop him — an illegal act that presumably ended his UFC career and jump-started Road House’s plot.
Gyllenhaal is far and away the biggest-named actor on Road House’s roster, which includes Fast X’s Daniela Melchior, Never Have I Ever’s Darren Barnet, and Into the Woods’ Billy Magnussen.
Another superstar is attached to the film, however. Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor is making his movie acting debut in Road House. Before the trailer was released, not much was known about McGregor’s role. However, there’s been considerable hype surrounding his involvement in the project since it was announced. Exclusive on-set photos of McGregor and Gyllenhaal were shared by Fansided’s Amy Kaplan in January 2023.
Doug Liman, who directed Edge of Tomorrow and The Bourne Identity, was tasked to head Road House. Road House’s original producer Joel Silver returned to work on the remake as well.
Three men are credited for its original screenplay, Anthony Bagarozzi, R. Lance Hill, and Chuck Mondry, but the movie is, of course, inspired by its predecessor, which was written by R. Lance Hill (under the pseudonym David Lee Henry) and Hilary Henkin.
Road House’s trailer is brimming with hand-to-hand action
Fans of the original, Gyllenhaal stans, and mixed martial arts enthusiasts had been waiting for months to sink their teeth into the movie’s official trailer. And on Jan. 25, it finally dropped on YouTube. And it’s filled with everything we expected — specifically fisticuffs.
The trailer opens up with Gyllenhaal’s Dalton laying the smack (or slap) down on several typical biker bros. That was the general theme of the sub-three-minute trailer, but we got snippets of the deeper storyline — Dalton fell on hard times after his UFC fiasco, but he’s offered a job sorting out a roadhouse in the Florida Keys by its owner. The bar has become a haven for unsavory individuals to let loose, and Dalton’s proficiency in hand-to-hand combat is the perfect remedy to upheave the clientele.
But, a big-money investor wants the land to build a resort and is using the state of the roadhouse to get what he wants. Enter Conor McGregor’s villainous Knox, who appears to be a hired henchman on a mission to send Dalton back home, ending the roadhouse’s revival. The trailer builds up to a presumed final showdown between Dalton and Knox.
There appear to be a lot of similarities between the original and the remake, but enough differences to make this a fresh take on the cult classic. From my estimation, the role won’t earn Gyllenhaal his first Oscar. But, it looks like a fun and rowdy time. So, I’m in!
When is Road House scheduled to release?
Road House will be released on March 21. As an original Prime Video movie, it’ll stream on the platform when it drops — it won’t receive a theatrical release.