Road House 2’s NEw Director Has Been Announced

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Summary

  • Guy Ritchie will direct Road House 2 with Jake Gyllenhaal returning.
  • Doug Liman, who directed the 2024 Road House, clashed with Amazon over Road House not having a theatrical release.
  • The Road House sequel will likely be set in a new location after Elwood leaves Florida Keys.

In the upcoming action thriller titled “Road House 2”, Jake Gyllenhaal will once again take on his role. However, unlike the original, which was directed by Doug Liman, this sequel will have a different director at the helm. The new film, set to release in 2024, is a modern reinterpretation of the 1989 classic, with an emphasis on action and drama. In “Road House”, Gyllenhaal portrayed Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter turned bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse. As the story unfolds, he uncovers a network of corruption and violence in the area.

The movie, exclusively streamed on Amazon Prime Video, garnered a mix of opinions from critics. Some praised Gyllenhaal’s acting, but others found it excessively violent. Critics also noted that the film’s fight scenes relied too heavily on computer-generated imagery. Additionally, there were disagreements between the director and Amazon regarding the movie’s release plan. These differences seem unresolved as Liman will not reprise his role for the sequel.

Director Guy Ritchie has been tapped for the director’s seat of “Road House 2”. Known for films such as the mystery adventure “Sherlock Holmes” (2010), action-comedy “The Gentlemen” (2019), and the upcoming action war adventures “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” (2023) and “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” (2024), Ritchie has also been associated with the heist action adventure film “Fountain of Youth” (2025). Following a public dispute between Liman and Amazon, it was reported by Entertainment Weekly that Ritchie’s hiring for the sequel ensued. Jake Gyllenhaal will reprise his role as the star and producer of the upcoming film. While specific details are being kept secret, the new setting may be somewhere other than Florida Keys following Dalton’s departure. Additionally, Conor McGregor might return to portray the psychotic enforcer Knox, given that the mid-credits scene hinted at his survival and escape from the hospital after his fight with Dalton.

Liman’s disagreement with Amazon stemmed from their contrasting views on the distribution method for the movie ‘Road House.’ The director desired a cinematic release, but Amazon chose to debut it exclusively on Prime Video. Despite its success on the platform, amassing over 80 million viewers and setting records as Amazon MGM’s most-watched film debut worldwide, Liman was dissatisfied because he had initially planned for the movie to be screened in theaters. In fact, he even considered boycotting its premiere as a form of protest. Prior to the premiere, Liman appeared on Casey Neistat’s YouTube channel and expressed that they intended ‘Road House’ for “the big screen” and even used IMAX cameras during filming. He also pointed out an article from Bloomberg mentioning Amazon’s investment of $1 billion annually in theater-released movies, but Liman stated, “Amazon never had any intention of screening it in theaters.” He further noted that several directors were given promises for a theatrical release, only to find their films being released on streaming instead.

It wasn’t shocking that a new director took over the Road House sequel, given Liman’s public disputes with Amazon and his unfavorable comments about the streaming platform. However, he later reversed his decision and attended its premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival. In the same interview, he shared that he made every effort to get Road House into theaters, but ultimately failed. Since the premiere was the only opportunity for people to purchase tickets to see the film, he wanted to be present. The director acknowledged his dislike for losing, but this was the case with Road Hose. “I have publicly lost here,” Liman conceded. It’s unfortunate, of course, as filmmakers typically prefer their work to be shown on large screens. However, it may have just been a miscommunication because Gyllenhaal stated that Amazon had made it clear from the start that the project was intended for streaming.

Road House streams on Amazon Prime Video.

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2025-05-01 19:34