Road House Remake Shatters Global Prime Video Original Movie Record

Summary

• Road House
  became Prime Video’s biggest hit, attracting 50 million viewers in two weekends.
• Director Doug Liman pushed for a theatrical release, sparking a debate on streaming vs. cinemas.
• The success of
  Road House
  on Prime Video proves it would have had potential as a big-screen release.

Prime Video’s Road House is a massive hit for the streaming service. Directed by Doug Liman, with a screenplay written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry, the movie is a remake of the 1989 film of the same name and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Elwood Dalton, an ex-UFC fighter who accepts a bouncing job at the Road House in the Florida Keys, while a local crime boss, Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen), wants to take it over. The movie marks the acting debut of UFC fighter Conor McGregor as Knox, an enforcer tasked by Brandt’s father to drive Dalton away from town.

According to a press release from Prime Video, the movie attracted a record-breaking 50 million worldwide viewers on the streaming service over its first two weekends and became Amazon MGM Studios’most-watched produced film debut ever on a worldwide basis. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, expressed her excitement at the film’s reception on the streaming service, stating that it’s a testament to the hard work and commitment of its filmmaking team and stars. Check out her full statement below:

The groundbreaking, successful debut of
Road House
is a testament to the hard work and commitment from the entire
Road House
filmmaking team and the film’s cast led by the phenomenal Jake Gyllenhaal. The world is absolutely loving this entertaining, action-packed ride anchored by the performances of Jake, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Darren Barnet, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Arturo Castro, JD Pardo, and the rest of our stellar cast.

It’s great to see the film taking off with both fans of the iconic original as well as a huge turnout from new audiences. This incredible film is really giving everyone something to talk about, and we couldn’t be more proud!

Road House’s Prime Video Success Proves Doug Liman Right

While the success of Road House on Prime Video can’t be ignored, the record-breaking streaming hit would’ve likely received much bigger numbers had it been released in cinemas. Director Doug Liman campaigned for this since the film’s inception, initially crafting the remake for a big screen for MGM Studios. However, when Amazon ultimately bought MGM in 2023, plans for Road House‘s theatrical release were left in limbo, as the company was looking to distribute it for its streaming service.

When the film’s release on Prime was ultimately confirmed, Liman decided to boycott the film’s press tour and premiere at the SXSW festival, stating that it not only hurt the filmmakers and stars of Road House but could also shape the future of the industry if tentpole films designed for the big screen aren’t released in cinemas. Liman ultimately attended the SXSW premiere but did not participate in interviews or introduce the film on stage with Gyllenhaal and McGregor.

The 1989 original
Road House
, starring Patrick Swayze, Ben Gazzara, Sam Elliott, and Kelly Lynch, was poorly received by critics upon its release but became a cult classic in the years to follow and was voted the most-watched film on cable in 2020.

The film’s smashing success on the streaming service ultimately proves Liman right, as its massive stars would’ve likely attracted audiences to the big screen should the film have been released that way. With its strong tie-in to the UFC, fans of the sport would’ve also flocked to the theater to see McGregor go toe-to-toe with Gyllenhaal for a massive movie-going event. This, unfortunately, never happened, as Road House is only available to view on Prime Video.

Source: Prime Video (Press release)

Watch Road House on Prime Video.