While Jake Gyllenhaal is best known for his work as a dramatic actor, the guy can definitely kick ass when a role calls for it. About a decade a go, we saw him get crazy ripped for his turn as a boxer in 2015's Southpaw, and let's not forget that the guy took on Spider-Man a few years back in Spider-Man: Far From Home. In 2024, however, it appears that we will get to see Gyllenhaal kick more ass than ever (after once again training like a madman), as the guy looks exceptionally busy in the brand new trailer for director Doug Liman's remake of Road House.
It was all the way back in August 2022 that the Road House remake was announced with Jake Gyllenhaal as its lead, and now the movie is just a few months away. While there has been a bit of controversy surrounding the distribution choices of the movie this week – with Doug Liman saying that he is skipping the SXSW Film Festival premiere in protest of the feature not getting a theatrical release – but the first look at the upcoming action flick makes it look like a whole lot of fun.
When one really thinks about it, the plot of the original Road House doesn't make a whole lot of sense (there idea of there being famous bouncers is more than a little bit odd), but the new remake is changing things up a bit to make the story a touch more logical. Rather than being known as a professional bouncer, Jake Gyllenhaal's Elwood Dalton is a retired UFC fighter who gets hired by the owner of a Florida Keys roadhouse (Jessica Williams) who is in need of some help with the clientele at her establishment. Like Patrick Swayne's John Dalton from the original, Elwood is a nice guy, but when you challenge him, threaten him with violence, or disturb the peace, it appears that he will politely escort you outside and deliver the level of ass-whopping that is deserved. Billy Magnussen will be the villain of the film, channeling Ben Gazzara's role from the original as a business magnate who wants to take over the bar,
In addition to Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Williams and Billy Magnussen, the film also stars The Suicide Squad's Daniela Melchior, Lukas Gage, and Arturo Castro. UFC's Conor McGregor is also making his acting debut in Road House, playing a heavy role similar to the part played by Marshall Teague's Jimmy Reno in the 1989 classic action movie. Fans of his should probably start mentally preparing now for the sight of Gyllenhaal ripping his throat out.
Following its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, Road House will be made available to stream on Prime Video on March 21. In the meantime, you can prepare for the experience by watching the original with a Max subscription.
