Back in November last year, word arrived that MGM had moved forward with development on its Road House remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Doug Liman. The big Amazon deal for the company slightly delayed things, but it is gearing up to start shooting this month, with Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Lukas Gage, Hannah Love Lanier and more joining the cast.
The original 1989 Road House starred Patrick Swayze and 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.
This new take will see Gyllenhaal as a former UFC fighter 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." Liman will start the cameras rolling in the Dominican Republic shortly. Travis Van Winkle, BK Cannon, Arturo Castro, Dominique Columbus, Beau Knapp and Bob Menery are also in the ensemble.
Anthony Bagarozzi & Charles Mondry wrote the script and Joel Silver – who produced the original – is pulling the same duty here.
"I’m thrilled to put my own spin on the beloved Road House legacy," Liman enthuses in a statement. "And I can’t wait to show audiences what Jake and I are going to do with this iconic role."
"The original Road House has a special place in my heart and I am so excited to bring this newly imagined version to audiences around the world," Silver says. "Doug and I have each made some big, boisterous action movies and are ready to bring everything we have to this one."
The new Road House has yet to hit upon a release date, but it'll likely premiere on Prime Video.