Road House Remake’s Two Major Controversies Explained

2024’s Road House remake is already facing two major controversies ahead of its release, and they are very different issues that may or may not end up affecting the movie. The latest movie to join the remake trend is Road House, the 1989 action film directed by Rowdy Herrington and starring Patrick Swayze as professional bouncer James Dalton. After a failed direct-to-video sequel in 2006, Road House is coming back to life with a remake directed by Doug Liman and starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Elwood Dalton.

The Road House remake follows Elwood, a former UFC middleweight fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys. Elwood’s skills are needed as the place has been attracting the wrong people, but once he gets there, he quickly realizes that it’s not the paradise it seemed to be and that it’s actually a dangerous and violent place. Road House also counts on the talents of Daniela Melchior, Conor McGregor, Billy Magnussen, and Jessica Williams, and will be released on Prime Video on March 21, 2024, but it’s already involved in controversy.

Why Road House’s Streaming Release Is Controversial

In January 2024, Doug Liman published an editorial that explained why he will be boycotting the premiere of his remake of Road House. Liman explained that Amazon bypassed a theatrical release for Road House after they purchased MGM, becoming Amazon MGM Studios. Liman expressed his worries about the impact of skipping theatrical releases in favor of streaming ones, saying that “if we don’t put tentpole movies in movie theaters, there won’t be movie theaters in the future”. According to Liman, Road House was made for the big screen, and it’s a movie that the audience wants to see in theaters.

Liman added that without movie theaters, there won’t be commercial box office hits that are the incentive for studios to “take gambles on original movies and new directors”, and without movies releasing in theaters, there’s “no revenue coming in”. Because of this, Liman doesn’t plan to attend Road House’s premiere at SXWS on March 8, 2024. In February 2024, a report from Variety detailed what went down behind the scenes of Road House that led to its streaming release.

According to it, Road House was presented to MGM, but after Amazon bought the company, Liman and Gyllenhaal were offered a $60 million budget and a theatrical release or an $85 million budget for a streaming release, and both agreed on the latter. Days later, Gyllenhaal opened up about what happened with Amazon, Liman, and Road House’s streaming release, stating that, while he “adores” Liman’s “tenacity” and believes he’s advocating for filmmakers, cinema, and theatrical releases, Amazon was very clear about Road House being a streaming release, and he wants “as many people to see it as possible”.

Road House Remake’s Lawsuit & AI Allegations Explained

Original movie R. Lance Hill has filed a lawsuit.

Liman’s boycott of his own movie isn’t the only controversy that Road House is facing ahead of its release. Just one day after Gyllenhaal’s comments on what happened with Amazon, Liman, and the movie’s release plan, Road House is now facing a lawsuit from R. Lance Hill, the original screenwriter of the 1989 version. Hill is suing MGM for copyright infringement, claiming that the studio ignored his ability to reclaim the rights to his 1986 screenplay. Hill alleges that he filed a petition with the U.S. Copyright Office in 2021 requesting that the copyright returned to him after United Artists’ claim was to expire in November 2023.

In addition to that, Hill alleges that not only did Amazon ignore his claims and move on with the remake of Road House, but that the studio used artificial intelligence to replicate the voices of actors for ADR during the 2023 SAG strike so the movie could be completed before its deadline. Hill’s accusations connect to the firing of producer Joe Silver in November 2023 over verbal abuse, with Variety reporting that Silver was penalized for raising concerns over Amazon’s use of AI to complete Road House, which Amazon later denied.

The WGA awarded Hill a “story by” acknowledgment in Liman’s remake and the credit “Based on the motion picture ‘Road House,’ Screenplay by David Lee Henry and Hilary Henkin, Story by David Lee Henry.”, but Hill’s suit seeks declaratory relief and to block distribution of the film. Amazon has firmly denied Hill’s accusations, saying that the lawsuit is “completely without merit” and the allegations are “categorically false” as Road House didn’t use AI in place of actor’s voices.

Will The Road House Remake Be Impacted By Its Controversies?

Road House releases March 21 on Amazon Prime.

The controversies around Road House might not affect the movie and its reception much. Whether Amazon was clear as Gyllenhaal says or not as Liman claims, the streaming decision can be frustrating, especially as action movies like Road House are often best enjoyed in theaters, but the movie can also be quite popular on the platform. All the drama around Road House’s streaming release and Hill’s lawsuit can make viewers lose interest in it, but at the same time, it can draw more attention to the project.

Ultimately, Road House has more playing in its favor than against it. The trailer has been well-received by the audience, with praise going towards the action scenes shown in it, and there’s a lot of interest in seeing Conor McGregor play the antagonist Knox. Road House is on its way to being a popular Prime Video release, despite all the controversies it has already gone through.

Source: Variety.

Road House (2024)

Road House is a remake of the original 1989 film, which followed protagonist Dalton, a Ph.D. educated bouncer at the roughest bar in the south known as the Double Deuce. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Dalton, with two major changes including Dalton being a retired UFC fighter and the bar locale being in the Florida Keys.

Director

Doug Liman

Release Date

March 21, 2024

Cast

Jake Gyllenhaal , Daniela Melchior , Billy Magnussen , Jessica Williams , Joaquim De Almeida , Conor McGregor , Lukas Gage , Arturo Castro , B.K. Cannon , Beau Knapp , Darren Barnet , Dominique Columbus , Bob Menery