This isn’t the first time that the UFC has been tied to an attempt to remake this 80s action classic.
There are few action movies so quintessentially 80s as Road House. With his feathered hair, skin tight jeans, and kung fu skills, Patrick Swayze’s Dalton became a cinematic icon for bar bouncers everywhere.
Attempts to turn the film into a franchise, however, have been far less successful. A direct to video sequel back in 2006 has found a home in Goodwill bargain bins everywhere, and a 2015 announcement of a remake starring former UFC star Ronda Rousey gratefully died in pre-production.
Still, amid the current climate of reboots and sequels, it’s of little surprise that Hollywood would take another crack at bringing Dalton back to the big screen. While Rousey doesn’t appear to be involved this time around, Yahoo! reports that a project starring Jake Gyllenhaal as an ex-UFC fighter who becomes the head bouncer of “a rough-and-tumble roadhouse in the Florida Keys,” will start filming later this month.
The Amazon Prime project is set to start production in the Dominican Republic, and will be helmed by notable action director Doug Liman (of Edge of Tomorrow & Bourne Identity fame).
“I’m thrilled to put my own spin on the beloved Road House legacy,” Liman said in a press release statement. “And I can’t wait to show audiences what Jake and I are going to do with this iconic role.”
Gyllenhaal is fresh off his role as Danny Sharp in the Michael Bay thriller Ambulance. He’s next set to hit theaters sometime in 2023 with a leading role in the Guy Ritchie film The Interpreter.