Production on the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring adaptation of the Patrick Swayze picture Road House will begin this month, so things are going swiftly. Although the majority of the ensemble has already been confirmed, one additional member has emerged, and their inclusion will enhance Gyllenhaal’s UFC angle. A UFC legend recently signed on to make their acting debut in the movie.
According to Deadline, Conor McGregor, a two-time UFC champion, will appear with Jake Gyllenhaal in the new version of the legendary action movie from the 1980s. What part McGregor will play in the future movie is unknown. The mixed martial artist already starred in the 2017 documentary Conor McGregor: Notorious, so this won’t be his first movie. According to insiders with knowledge of the project, McGregor won’t portray himself in the Road House adaptation, but rather a brand-new character.
After years of being wooed by Hollywood to star in a movie, McGregor finally agreed to join the Road House remake. McGregor came very close to accepting the main role in the 2018 film The Predator after being offered it, but he declined since he didn’t like the plot. The legendary UFC fighter was determined to land the ideal job and resist taking any chance. He watched the original Road House to familiarize himself with it and decided to join Gyllenhaal and the rest of the remake cast. He reportedly agreed to meet with producer Joel Silver after seeing the movie and fell in love with Silver’s concept for a new spin on the classic tale.
Given that McGregor is a former UFC fighter like Gyllenhaal’s character, it’s encouraging to see him in the UFC-focused revival. What’s even better is that the mixed martial artist opted against playing himself (or a parody of himself), choosing to deviate from the sports-to-screen trend and portray someone who isn’t himself. This raises the question of whether he will portray a different UFC fighter, a bouncer (like Gyllenhaal), or someone altogether unexpected.
The MMA star joined a cast that was already impressive and starred Jake Gyllenhaal. In the reworking of the cherished Patrick Swayze movie, Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Lukas Gage, Hannah Love Lanier, Travis Van Winkle, B.K. Cannon, Arturo Castro, Dominique Columbus, Beau Knapp, and Bob Menery will co-star with the Ambulance actor. Similar to McGregor’s part, it’s unclear who each actor will play in the action movie.
The Amazon movie is just one of many upcoming Jake Gyllenhaal projects that have been planned as fans wait for further information on the remake. As seen in the Disney trailer for the animated movie Strange World with Gyllenhaal’s character, he will be heard. The Academy Award contender has roles in upcoming thrillers The Interpreter and The Division opposite Jessica Chastain as well as Prophet, a comic book-to-film adaption.
It’s not yet known when the Road House adaptation will air on the streamer because filming will begin this month. For more details on the next action movie and further developments, keep checking back with CinemaBlend. In the interim, you can also watch some of the top Amazon Prime films and, with an AMC+ membership, stream the first Road House.