Oscar- and Tony-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal will officially star in “Road House,” a reimagining of the classic film starring Patrick Swayze, for Amazon’s Prime Video.
Doug Liman will direct the new film based on the screenplay by Anthony Bagarozzi & Charles Mondry. After producing the original film for MGM in 1989, Joel Silver rejoined the production of the reimagining for his company Silver Pictures. JJ Hook, Alison Winter and Aaron Auch will executive produce.
Reports that Gyllenhaal and Liman were circling the project surfaced in November 2021. Prime Video officially announced the imminent start of production on Tuesday.
“’Road House’ is a homerun for us. Not only is it a nod to fans of the original, but it’s also a big, fun movie for a broad audience,” said Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke. “We are thrilled to be working with Joel, Doug and this great cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, and to come together to reinvent the classic MGM film as an action-packed adventure for our global audience.”
“I’m thrilled to give my take on the beloved ‘Road House’ legacy,” Doug Liman said in a statement. “And I can’t wait to show audiences what Jake and I will do with this iconic role.”
In the 1989 cult classic, Swayze played James Dalton, a Zen bouncer hired to clean up a rowdy bar in Missouri. Dalton quickly clashes with the corrupt businessman (Ben Gazzara) who controls the small town. The film was a modest success at the box office — grossing $30 million against a reported $15 million budget — but has since established a reputation as a cult classic and is one of Swayze’s most beloved roles among fans of the late actor.
“The original ‘Road House’ has a special place in my heart and I’m very excited to bring this reimagined version to audiences around the world,” said Silver. “Doug and I have made several big, blistering action movies and we’re ready to give everything we’ve got to this one.”
According to the studio, the new footage stars Gyllenhaal as a former UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer in a tough building in the Florida Keys, but “soon discovers that all is not as it seems in this tropical paradise.”
The Amazon Original is set to go into production in the Dominican Republic this month with a cast that also includes Billy Magnussen (“No Time to Die”), Daniela Melchior (“The Suicide Squad”), Gbemisola Ikumelo (“A League of Their Own” ), Lukas Gage (“The White Lotus”), Hannah Love Lanier (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”), Travis Van Winkle (“You”), B.K. Cannon (“Why Women Kill”), Arturo Castro (“Broad City “), Dominique Columbus (“Ray Donovan”), Beau Knapp (“Seven Seconds”) and Bob Menery. Upon release, “Road House” will be broadcast on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Gyllenhaal is repped by WME; Liman is represented by CAA; and Ikumelo is represented by Paradigma and Curtis Brown Group.
