With clenched fists and a tucked chin, Road House’s reimagination is getting a sequel. The beloved 1989 cult classic starring Patrick Swayze was given a modern-day facelift in the way of Amazon Prime Video’s Road House with Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal. It was released on the streamer in March 2024, and around two months later, Road House 2 was announced.
Based on several elements of its predecessor, Road House follows Gyllenhaal’s Dalton, a rough-and-tough fighter and disgraced former UFC contender. He finds himself flexing his fisticuff talents at a Florida-based roadhouse as its head of security. Tasked with changing the clientele from degenerates to honest-paying customers, Dalton goes to war with the local corrupt millionaire, Billy Magnussen’s Ben Brandt, who intends on taking the roadhouse’s land as his own.
Gyllenhaal beats back Brandt’s henchman and ultimately saves the oceanside bar from financial ruin. After that, Dalton hops on a bus out of the Florida Keys. But, apparently that wasn’t the end of the road for Road House.
The Road House (2024) sequel gets the greenlight
Head of Amazon MGM Studios Jennifer Salke revealed Road House 2 was a go during a presentation in mid-May, according to a report from Variety. The film has surpassed nearly 80 million viewers, Salke said, which includes more than 50 million who tuned into Road House during its first two weeks of availability — a record for the studio.
Gyllenhaal has also been confirmed as the franchise’s lead role once again. A release date or production schedule hasn’t been made available at the time of this writing.
Road House 2’s announcement didn’t come as a surprise considering its record-breaking feat, the open-ended way the first film wrapped, and Gyllenhaal’s shared passion for the movie throughout his media spots.
“The groundbreaking, successful debut of Road House is a testament to the hard work and commitment from the entire Road House filmmaking team and the film’s cast led by the phenomenal Jake Gyllenhaal,” Salke said in a statement. “The world is absolutely loving this entertaining, action-packed ride anchored by the performances of Jake, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Darren Barnet, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Arturo Castro, JD Pardo, and the rest of our stellar cast. It’s great to see the film taking off with both fans of the iconic original, as well as a huge turnout from new audiences.”
Speaking of McGregor, Road House ended on a cliffhanger featuring the former two-division UFC champion who made his acting debut as the movie’s fearless mercenary, Knox. Dalton and Knox duked it out in the movie’s climax, and although Knox was left unconscious with several stab wounds courtesy of Dalton, he survived. Road House faded out with Knox strutting out of the hospital in a bloody gown with potential revenge on his mind.
Will the sequel build toward another meeting between the two foes? Who knows. All we know is Amazon is all in on Road House.