First reported back in 2021, it seems that the Jake Gyllenhaal-led remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze classic Road House has rounded out its cast and is set to begin shooting later this month in the Dominican Republic, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Director Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow, The Bourne Identity) is set to helm the remake based on a script penned by The Nice Guys writer Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. Gyllenhaal will be playing a former UFC fighter turned bouncer for a Florida Keys roadhouse where not everything is what it seems. Gyllenhaal is no stranger to action-heavy films, with his recent role in Michael Bay's blockbuster heist-gone-wrong movie Ambulance the latest in a string of more action-packed roles for the Donnie Darko star.
Along with Gyllenhaal, Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo and Lukas Gage are set to star. Hannah Love Lanier, Travis Van Winkle, B.K. Cannon, Arturo Castro, Dominique Columbus, Beau Knapp, and Bob Menery are also slated to appear. The remake is being produced by Joel Silver and his production company Silver Pictures.
In the original, Patrick Swayze played corruption-busting bouncer Dalton who uncovers the machinations of a local business owner after moving to small town Missouri and taking on the job of the doorman at a rowdy roadhouse. Purportedly based extremely loosely on the real-life case of a local bad guy's murder where somehow no one saw anything, Road House is a quintessential '80s action film about doing the right thing and taking down as many rowdy bar patrons as possible.
Originally in development for MGM, the project made its way to Amazon after the internet retail giant purchased MGM in March of this year for a staggering $8.5 billion. Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke has stated of the script “Not only is it a nod to fans of the original, but it is also a big, fun, broad audience movie.”
If that's the case, this could be a markedly different tone to the original film which was rated R due to the sex and violence portrayed within. It sounds like the studio could be looking to make a more family-friendly spin on the original to maximize viewership. Either way, director Doug Liman is certainly excited about the project saying, “I’m thrilled to put my own spin on the beloved Road House legacy. And I can’t wait to show audiences what Jake and I are going to do with this iconic role.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter