The Road House remake is fighting multiple bouts as it fights to win over fans of the original, as well as fighting a new lawsuit from the original’s scribe. The film is also in a fight with its distributing studio, Amazon, as director Doug Liman boycotts screenings of the film for being denied any kind of theatrical releasing. The star of the remake, Jake Gyllenhaal, recently weighed in on his director’s stance, saying, “I adore Doug’s tenacity, and I think he is advocating for filmmakers, and film in the cinema, and theatrical releases. But, I mean, Amazon was always clear that it was streaming. I just want as many people to see it as possible. And I think we’re living in a world that’s changing in how we see and watch movies, and how they’re made.”
While controversy brews behind the scenes, Gyllenhaal is making it clear that he understands the big boots he had to fill for this movie. According to the HuffPost, Gyllenhaal shared a picture of himself on social media from when he worked with the original’s iconic star, Patrick Swayze, on the film Donnie Darko. Gyllenhaal honored Swayze in his post, which stated, “I’ve been thinking back about my time working with Patrick on Donnie Darko, and rewatching this great man in the original Road House plus so many other films. I’ve never stopped being a fan. He was such a talent and I continue to have so much respect and admiration for what he put out and into the world.”
Gyllenhaal continued in his tribute, “I’ll never forget his kindness to me when I was starting out— he didn’t have to take the time, but he always did. We’ve made a different RH this time around, but hoping it’s one he would’ve had fun watching!” Although the trailer showcased many of the original’s story beats, the new film varied up some details which aimed to help it stand apart from the original, such as giving Dalton an extensive background as a professional fighter in the UFC.
When Gyllenhaal showed support for his director’s boycott, he expressed, “What’s clear to me, and what I loved so much, was [Liman’s] deep love for this movie, and his pride at how much he cares for it, how good he feels it is, and how much people should see it.” But Gyllenhaal remained diplomatic about the controversy and expounded, “I’m a deep lover of cinema and the theatrical release – but I also do really embrace the streaming world.”