When it comes to beloved films from the 1980s, none quite match the so-bad-it’s-good brilliance of Road House. The 1989 cult hit starred Patrick Swayze as Dalton, a renowned “cooler” with a mysterious past who is hired to take over security at a club in Jasper, Missouri, named the Double Deuce. Dalton quickly makes his presence known as an incorruptible and dangerous force able to stand toe-to-toe with any man before him, including Brad Weasley (Ben Gazzara), the local crime boss and business magnate who will stop at nothing to run Dalton out of town.
After 35 years, a remake is finally coming. Releasing in the spring of 2024, the Road House remake will be directed by Edge of Tomorrow filmmaker Doug Liman. Jake Gyllenhaal will star in the lead role of Dalton, while UFC superstar Conor McGregor will play a pivotal yet undisclosed role. While it is doubtful that this updated version of Road House will repeat the guilty pleasure excess blend of martial arts fight scenes and gratuitous nudity that made the Patrick Swayze-led original a beloved classic, the combination of Liman and Gyllenhaal could prove to be the one-two-punch needed for the new Road House to be a winner. Here’s everything we know about the Road House remake.
Editor’s Note: This piece was updated on January 25, 2024.
Road House (2024)
Release Date March 21, 2024
Cast Jake Gyllenhaal , conor mcgregor , Daniela Melchior , Billy Magnussen , Jessica Williams , Darren Barnet , JD Pardo , Arturo Castro , Joaquim De Almeida , Lukas Gage , Beau Knapp
Writers Anthony Bagarozzi , Chuck Mondry , R. Lance Hill
Studio(s) Amazon MGM Studios , Silver Pictures
Distributor(s) Prime Video
Does ‘Road House’ Have a Release Date?
Image via Amazon MGM Studios
Road House is finally set to release on March 21, 2024. The remake will come 35 years after the original film hit theaters and 18 years after the ill-fated direct-to-DVD sequel Road House 2.
The movie will have its world premiere at the 2024 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas.
Will ‘Road House’ Receive a Theatrical Release?
Image via Amazon MGM Studios
No, while producers Joel Silver, Doug Liman, and Jake Gyllenhaal all pushed for a theatrical release after positive test screenings alongside, the film will ultimately premiere exclusively on Prime Video. While Amazon MGM Studios (formally Amazon Studios) initially started out giving many of their films an exclusive theatrical release, including Manchester by the Sea and The Big Sick, the COVID-19 pandemic led the streamer to release many of their films directly to the service instead. Recently there has been a change in strategy, as Amazon MGM Studios gave several of their highly-anticipated films, such as Ben Affleck’s Air and Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, exclusive theatrical releases before they debuted on the service. However, that won’t be the case with the Road House remake as it will be released directly to Prime Video in March 2024.
Is There a Trailer for ‘Road House’?
The first official trailer for Road House was released on January 25, 2024. Full of muscles, barfights, UFC fights, and plenty of Gyllenhaal hurting people, the first look at the film promises to deliver what fans have long hoped for.
What Will ‘Road House’ Be About?
Image via Amazon MGM Studios
The official synopsis for the Road House remake reads:
In this adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the 80s cult classic, ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
In the Road House remake, Gyllenhaal will play the role of Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys. Dalton soon discovers that only some things are what it seems in this tropical paradise.
This isn’t the first attempt to remake the 1989 action flick either, as back in 2015 it was announced that former UFC star Ronda Rousey had signed on to play the lead role in a remake of Road House, with Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook) on board to write and direct. It was also reported that Rousey reached out to Swayze’s widow, Lisa Niemi, to ask for her blessing to play the iconic Swayze character of Dalton, which Niemi gave. Before then, The Fast and The Furious filmmaker Rob Cohen was attached to direct the film but ended up departing the project when Rousey came on board.
Who Stars in ‘Road House’?
Road House stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter who takes a job at the titular roadhouse in the Florida Keys. Gyllenhaal is an Academy Award-nominated actor and has an extensive resume, having starred in films like Brokeback Mountain, Nightcrawler, Donnie Darko, Zodiac, End of Watch, and Prisoners. While he might be best known for his dramatic roles, he’s also no stranger to the action genre, having starred in films such as Ambulance, Source Code, The Covenant, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and he played the supervillain Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Road House also isn’t Gyllenhaal’s first time playing an athlete, having headlined Antoine Fuqua’s boxing drama Southpaw.
Daniela Melchior (Fast X) stars as Elwood’s love interest Ellie, a nurse in the Florida Keys, and Billy Magnussen (Game Night) will play Brandt, the film’s villain. The rest of the movie’s cast includes UFC superstar Conor McGregor in his acting debut, Jessica Williams (Shrinking), Joaquim de Almedia (Fast Five), Darren Barnett (Never Have I Ever), Beau Knapp (The Nice Guys), Lukas Gage (The White Lotus), J.D. Pardo (Mayans M.C.), Arturo Castro (Narcos), Gbemisola Ikumelo (A League of Their Own), Hannah Love Lanier (Special Ops: Lioness), Travis Van Winkle (You), B.K. Cannon (Switched at Birth), Dominque Columbus (Ray Donovan), comedian Bob Menery, and Kevin Carroll (The Leftovers).
Who Is Making ‘Road House’?
Image via YouTube
Doug Liman, the filmmaker behind Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Edge of Tomorrow, will be directing the remake. The script was written by Anthony Bagarozzi (The Nice Guys) and Chuck Mondry, from a story treatment they co-wrote with original Road House screenwriter, David Lee Henry. Joel Silver, who produced the original film, produced the remake. Henry Braham (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) served as the cinematographer with Doc Crotzer (Shotgun Wedding) as the editor.
When and Where Did ‘Road House’ Film?
Image via Conor McGregor
Production began for the Road House remake in August 2022 in the Dominican Republic. Additional filming took place during a UFC event in March 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada; with footage capturing Jake Gyllenhaal in the Octagon up against former UFC fighter Jay Hieron.