Summary

• Road House was originally pitched to MGM, but plans for the movie changed after the studio was purchased by Amazon.
• A new report claims that director Doug Liman chose a higher budget with a streaming release over a lower budget with a theatrical release for Road House.
• Liman plans to protest the movie's premiere and claims that he was misled regarding the movie's release prospects.

remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze film, Road House stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a former UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida dive bar. The release became the subject of much controversy when Liman wrote a damning Deadline op-ed, vowing to boycott the movie's SXSW premiere and making bold claims that Amazon didn't care about cinema

A new report from Road House's Prime Video release now dives into exactly what went down behind the scenes. The report contains a number of details regarding the controversy, but a key point is that Liman and Gyllenhaal were presented with a choice before making the movie. After Amazon bought MGM, the movie's original studio, Liman and Gyllenhaal were offered a $60 million budget and a theatrical release or an $85 million budget for a streaming release. According to the report, they both agreed on the latter option.

Road House's Controversial Release Explained

What Doug Liman Has Said About Amazon & His Remake

A key factor in the controversy is that Road House didn't begin life as a Prime Video movie. The package, which included Gyllenhaal as the star, was first presented to MGM, a company that made movies for movie theaters. The report states that a streaming release hadn't been presented as an option during these early discussions, but things obviously changed after Amazon bought the storied movie studio. Liman lays this out during his Deadline op-ed, but includes the claim that "Amazon said make a great film and we will see what happens" regarding a potential theatrical release.

The Road House remake also stars Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, and, in his first ever acting role, Conor McGregor.

Liman's op-ed goes on to say that Road House was dubbed a "smash hit" by Amazon executives and that it was testing extremely well with audiences. According to the director, this makes the film deserving of the theatrical release that had been floated as an option. It's not just Liman who pushed for a theatrical release, however, with original Road House producer Joel Silver (who also produces the remake) becoming so combative over the matter that Amazon threatened to fire him (the company later cut ties with him due to "verbal abuse of several staffers," as Variety puts it).

It's unclear whether a theatrical release was presented as a possibility to Liman, as he claims, but the new report suggests that, contractually, the filmmaker made a clear choice prior to making the movie. It remains to be seen how Liman's action-packed Road House remake goes over with audiences, but it's likely that Liman and Amazon won't be working together again anytime soon.

Source: Variety