With one Patrick Swayze hit headed for the small screen, it would seem studios have been bitten by the remake bug for another of his successful films. And this one might be more controversial: MGM has dug into the archives and emerged with** Road House**, handing the task of crafting a new version to Rob Cohen{
Michael Stokes has written the current draft of the script, which will give a vague update to the 1989 story. In case you’re unaware, Road House was set at The Double Deuce, a sleazy music bar in the small town of Jasper, Missouri, “the kind of place where they sweep up the eyeballs after closing”. The owner, tired of his joint being wrecked by muscle-bound “power drinkers” and provocative bimbos, hires the best bouncer in the business (Swayze) to cool things down. Famously, he starts off charming but doesn't hesitate to take extreme throat-ripping measures when pushed to his limit.
So Cohen, whose past work includes The Fast And The Furious, The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor and, most recently, Alex Cross, is now the man charged with finding someone who can channel Swayze’s charisma while bringing something new to the story. We’re not sure his hiring will be greeted with universal acclaim, but it’s still early days.
Cohen is currently at work on a Jason Blum production, The Boy Next Door, directing Jennifer Lopez in the tale of a woman whose affair with a teenaged neighbour goes badly wrong.