Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in the project, which begins filming later this month.
It’s finally happened, Conor McGregor is headed to Hollywood.
As far back as 2016, the UFC superstar has made it clear that he’d like to make his mark on the silver screen once his combat sports career has come to an end. He may not yet be officially retired from MMA, but it seems he’s got his first role in a major motion picture, with the recent announcement that McGregor will have a significant part in the upcoming Road House remake.
“Hollywood are all over it now, Hollywood want a piece of this,” McGregor told the Severe MMA podcast in a 2016 interview. “I feel I’m touching markets that the UFC have never touched before. It will continue to rise and continue to grow and see where it goes but the sky is the limit.”
Notably, despite that interest, back in the mid 2010s, the ‘Notorious’ SBG Ireland talent apparently turned down roles in both xXx: Return of Xander Cage, and Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. This time around it seems he got just the right offer at just the right time.
“Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood,” McGregor rep Karen Kessler said in a recent statement announcing his role in the project. “While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire. He is eager to get started filming.”
The film is reportedly set to begin production in late August, with shooting taking place in the Dominican republic. Once seen as a potential Ronda Rousey-led project while she was still at the height of her UFC fame, the movie is now set to star Jake Gyllenhaal as a former UFC fighter turned club bouncer in the Florida Keys. Bourne Identity director Doug Liman will will helm the production.
In the meantime, McGregor continues to recover from a broken leg suffered in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in July of 2021. Along with his newfound movie career, the 34-year-old recently teased the idea that he’d be making his return to the Octagon in the near future.