Jake Gyllenhaal & ‘Road House’ Filmmakers Reportedly Agreed To Prime Video Release Before Production Started

Honestly, you might not find a bigger fan of the original “Road House” than this writer. I adore everything about that film, and I watch it multiple times a year. It’s actually quite annoying to my family. So, when it was announced that “Road House” was being remade with Jake Gyllenhaal leading the cast, I was cautiously optimistic. Maybe, just maybe, it could be decent. (It was never going to be as iconic as the original, obviously.) But what I didn’t take into consideration would be the behind-the-scenes—and now, very public—squabbling that would take place about how the film would be released. Now, before the film is even hitting Prime Video, throats are already getting ripped out.

READ MORE: ‘Road House’: Director Doug Liman is Boycotting His SXSW Movie Because Amazon Won’t Release It Theatrically

In a new report from Variety, the outlet takes a look at the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the “Road House” remake, which is expected to arrive on Prime Video next month. Not one word of the report has anything to do with the quality of the film. Nothing about Jake Gyllenhaal or any cast members being divas on set. The report breaks down just how contentious the release strategy of the film has been, and why it would appear (if this reporting is accurate) that Doug Liman might not have been completely forthright when he decided to trash Amazon/MGM a few weeks ago.

You may remember the news last month that Doug Liman, the director of the new “Road House,” wrote an op/ed talking about how disappointed he was that his film that he worked so hard on was being sent directly to Prime Video, without a theatrical release. This news came as the film was announced as a big premiere at SXSW. The filmmaker went so far as to say that he was going to boycott the world premiere in protest of the move. To say that was a shocking bit of news is an understatement. Film fans immediately were shocked and dismayed that MGM and Amazon would be so callous and ignore the chance to release “Road House” in theaters. But apparently, that’s not the full story.

Variety’s new report claims that “Road House” was set to be a casualty of the Amazon/MGM merger. However, executives at Amazon and MGM were keen to keep the film afloat, but there was an ultimatum given to the filmmakers involved. Basically, they were given the option. They could make the film for $60 million and guarantee a theatrical release, or take $85 million and agree to send the film directly to Prime Video. Liman and the producers reportedly agreed to take the $85 million, knowing full well the film would be turned into a Prime Video Original. 

You can probably guess where this is going.

After the film went into production, Joel Silver (former producer on the film) reportedly started to ask for a theatrical release. Other people involved started asking the same thing. But whenever news was announced about the film, it was clearly said to be a Prime Video Original. Then, after the film has been building hype and Liman said that test screenings went really well, now the filmmaker is making public pleas to get the film released in theaters. 

That really does change the context of everything, doesn’t it? If true, then it would seem as if Liman and the other filmmakers involved are trying to stir up public outrage to force Amazon/MGM’s hand in this and forcibly land a “Road House” theatrical release. Of course, that doesn’t seem to be actually happening. 

As a fan of the original and someone who didn’t actually think the trailer for the remake was all that terrible, this is a bit of a bummer. Obviously, watching the new film in theaters would have been amazing. But to see the promotional push start out with such controversy and bickering is quite disheartening. Oh well, there’s always Patrick Swayze and the coolest motherfucker on the planet, Sam Elliott, to cheer me up with a new rewatch.