Who Will Conor McGregor Play in Amazon’s ‘Road House’ Remake With Jake Gyllenhaal?
The 1989 classic, Road House, is getting a remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal and mixed martial artist (MMA) Conor McGregor. While the film was a flop at the box office, it gained massive popularity via VCR and cable viewings and has become something of a cult classic.
Now, Patrick Swayze’s iconic character is coming back for another round, with Nightcrawler’s Gyllenhaal playing Dalton and McGregor joining him in the ring for the Amazon Prime production.
Conor McGregor’s undisclosed role in Amazon’s new ‘Road House’
McGregor’s role in the upcoming Road House remake is still unclear; however, many suspect that the two-time UFC Champion will play Dalton’s unspoken rival, Jimmy (originally played by Marshall Teague). Strengthening the rumors, Deadline recently reported that “sources made it clear [McGregor] would be playing an original character and not himself in the project.”
Regardless of what role McGregor plays, his casting lends authenticity to the film. While the original Road House was more than just an action movie, the action did take center stage. The movie featured nine different fighting styles, including street fighting, boxing, kickboxing, karate, jiujitsu, taekwondo, hapkido, judo, and tai chi.
As noted by ESPN, “McGregor is the UFC’s most popular fighter ever, headlining some of the biggest moneymaking pay-per-views in UFC history.” McGregor was also “the first fighter to hold two titles in two different UFC divisions concurrently and crossed over into boxing against Floyd Mayweather in 2017 in the second-biggest pay-per-view of all time.”
As such, McGregor’s presence in the film will likely expand viewership as his fans tune in to see him in the new Road House.
The ‘Road House’ remake almost cast infinitely suspended WWE fighter, Ronda Rousey
According to IMDb, WWE fighter Ronda Rousey was cast in the Road House remake back in 2015. Rousey was intended to take the remake in a new direction with her in the lead role; however, that plan officially ended after Rousey attacked a referee at her recent SummerSlam fight against Liv Morgan. Yahoo! Entertainment noted that the new casting announcements signaled the end of her involvement in the project.
Jake Gyllenhaal will play Patrick Swayze’s Dalton
As Swayze was one of the biggest stars of the 1980s and early 1990s, it is hard to distinguish which of Swayze’s roles he is best known for. However, Swayze’s role opposite Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing is the movie that truly launched his career. In the four years following Dirty Dancing’s release in 1987, Swayze made some of his greatest films, including Road House, Ghost, and Point Break.
Unlike Swayze, who was seen as a heartthrob following his role as Johnny Castle, Gyllenhaal is largely known for his work in dark thrillers and dramatic roles. Gyllenhaal’s recent appearance in the Spider-Verse as Mysterio, however, proves he can hold his own in an action movie.
Not to mention his incredible performance in 2015’s Southpaw. As T3 puts it, “…while most Gyllenhaal movies have not involved him being very manly and kicking lots of ass, he has proved he can do it…” and we very much look forward to seeing it.
