I remember the run-in to the release of Doug Liman’s Road House remake. There was some genuine enthusiasm. The original is a well-regarded slice of 80’s Americana cheese. There was that whole “will they / won’t they” over a theatrical release, and if they were pushing for such a thing, there was a presumption it must be pretty good. There seemed to be some buzz.
Then it was released and… well… oh dear. It seemed to be a Road House movie made by people who had never seen the original.
Gone was the small-town vibe with interesting supporting characters. The comically overwrought cod-zen philosophy was completely absent. I can’t remember a single one of his fellow bouncers like I can still remember every single one of the crew from the original. I also can’t remember a single quotable line from the remake, nobody is told to “be nice” or calls anyone elses momma a whore.
Still, maybe Guy Ritchie, an increasingly reliable director, can salvage something with his sequel. He takes over from Doug Liman, who did not return over the theatrical release fallout.
Jake Gyllenhaal is back as ex-UFC fighter Dalton. Will Beall (Aquaman, Bad Boys: Ride or Die) is writing the script, and now they have a co-star. Dave Bautista has reportedly joined the cast.
In the first film, Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a rough roadhouse in the Florida Keys, but soon discovers that bigger forces are at work down in the Keys with a nefarious interest in the property and the community.
Bautista’s role is said to be another former fighter, said to be similar to Dalton. Could he be taking on the wise mentor role played by Sam Elliot in the 1989 original?
The remake did massive numbers for Prime Video, so Amazon will be hoping any sequel can follow suit. Road House 2 will shoot in September.
