In a development that would surely delight Peter Griffin, the late ’80s cult film Road House is getting a remake for Prime Video. Directed by Doug Liman (Swingers, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Jumper) and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, the film just recently began production in the Dominican Republic about a month ago.

For those who aren’t familiar, the Patrick Swayze-led original told the story of a mysterious and tough bouncer hired to protect a roadside bar from a corrupt local businessman. It hit theaters in the summer of 1989 and quickly became a box office and home video success, grossing a none-too-shabby $61.6 million against a budget of $15 million. Due in no small part to its superstar lead, Road House proved more than capable of bringing the audiences in. Still, it failed to become popular with critics, went up for five different Razzies (winning none), and was received very tepidly by big-name critics such as Roger Ebert.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Despite this, it continues to receive decent user reviews on sites like IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic. This sustained love from the fans is certainly a big part of why Hollywood has deemed it ready for a revival.

Road House: The Plot

     United Artists

The original movie follows New York City transplant James Dalton as he attempts to tame The Double Deuce, a wild and raucous bar in the small southern town of Jasper, Missouri. He’s a man with a bit of a shady past, but he does his job to perfection, firing all the bad employees, beating up every patron who dares to cause him trouble, and slowly but surely winning the hearts of the average people of Jasper.

He does so well, as a matter of fact, that he ends up attracting the attention of local thug and businessman Brad Wesley (played by Ben Gazzara), a man who’s actively trying to bring the Deuce under his control. Wesley hopes to make the stubborn yet good-natured Dalton change over to his side, and as you might guess, trouble ensues.

Though there’s not yet any way of knowing how close the remake will be to the original, it’s safe to assume that, in the mold of most modern remakes of older films, it will be thematically identical while slightly tweaking the plot to better suit a present-day setting. Some of the limited information that has been released up to now supports this- Gyllenhaal’s version of Dalton will be a retired UFC fighter who decides to take a job as a bouncer at a rowdy drinking hall in the Florida Keys.

Especially given how popular the original story continues to be with the average Road House fan, the new plot will most likely run the same course as the old one. We’ll have to wait to see whether the ’80s cheese remains as well.

Road House: The Cast

     Universal Pictures/Netflix/HBO/FX/United Artists

The cast is the most interesting part of this remake, not just because Gyllenhaal has to try to fill Swayze’s shoes. The 41-year-old actor is no stranger to the spotlight, having made his name in acclaimed movies such as The Day After Tomorrow and Brokeback Mountain. He’s maintained his A-list status with more recent roles, with his portrayal of Mysterio in the MCU going down as one of his most famous. Gyllenhaal certainly has the star power to take on the part of James Dalton. He’ll be directed by the experienced Doug Liman, who’s been involved in plenty of well-received action movies and has a penchant for adding a healthy sense of humor to his thrillers.

The biggest name in the supporting cast is a man who’s never even acted before unless you count his post-fight tantrums and antics. Notorious former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion Conor McGregor will make his acting debut in a role that, like every other save Gyllenhaal’s, has yet to be specified to the public. It would be great to see him take on the Wade Garrett role, a mentor figure/foil played by Sam Elliott in the original film.

The rest of the cast is rounded out most notably by a blend of interesting, mostly younger actors: Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad, the upcoming Fast X), Billy Magnussen (The Many Saints of Newark, No Time To Die), Lukas Gage (The White Lotus, Euphoria), Travis Van Winkle (You, The Last Ship), Arturo Castro (Narcos, Broad City), and J.D. Pardo (F9, Mayans M.C.) all feature. Veteran performers Kevin Carroll (The Leftovers, Snowfall) and Joaquim de Almeida (Clear and Present Danger, Fast Five) also feature.

Release Date

Considering that production more or less just began, the Road House remake’s tentative 2023 release will likely be in the latter half of that year. As mentioned above, it will be available on Prime Video.