Jake Gylenhaal

First ‘Road House’ Remake Pics Emerge: Do Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor Stack Up to Original Stars?

The first images of actor Jake Gyllenhaal and MMA star Conor McGregor in the upcoming Road House remake have surfaced. The pair appear to be doing their best to channel original male leads Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliot in the photos posted by Twitter user @PhotoAmy33. In the images, Gyllenhaal and McGregor are all wet while filming action scenes in the Dominican Republic.

In the pictures, McGregor is sporting an unbuttoned collared shirt showing off his iconic Gorilla chest plate tattoo. Another behind-the-scenes shot shows McGregor with leading man Jake Gyllenhaal on set for Road House. The photos feature both men side by side backstage and also show McGregor perched in a boat while Gyllenhaal clutches onto the rim.

In 1989, the late Patrick Swayze starred in Road House as James “Pain Don’t Hurt” Dalton. Dalton is an expert bouncer with a knack for using his fists to protect what matters. After being hired at a newly restored roadside bar, he quickly finds himself on duty to expel any troublesome drunks or brawlers that come through its door. But soon enough, it is up to him and his mentor Wade Garrett (Elliot) to guard the small Missouri town against a cruel businessman (Ben Gazzara).

The ‘Road House’ remake updates the main character’s background

The remake of Road House will draw from the original in many ways, but with some subtle differences. Gyllenhaal stars as Dalton, a former UFC fighter who is now working as a bouncer at a bar in the Florida Keys. However, this next bit from the official logline of the remake sounds familiar. “[Dalton] soon discovers that not everything is what it seems in this tropical paradise.”

Despite being received with mixed reviews at its initial release, Road House‘s magical chaos and Patrick Swayze’s charming performance have since given it a passionate fan base. Jake Gyllenhaal is a strong actor, but it’s going to be a challenge for him to match Swayze’s charisma in the role. Plus, it’s unclear if he has a costar like Sam Elliot to help anchor the film with sardonic humor and effortless cool.

These photos serve as our first glimpse of Conor McGregor in his debut acting role for Road House. Little has been revealed about what we can expect from him. It would be great to see him play a heavy going up against Gyllenhaal’s Dalton. However, McGregor does have a natural charisma that might lend itself to being a fun sidekick character. Time will tell what sort of role he will be playing. The fighter claims he plans to return to the Octagon in 2023 after his last fight in July of 2022.

Doug Liman, the director behind American Made and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, will be helming the Road House remake. Anthony Bagarozzi (The Nice Guys) and Charles Mondry (Doc Savage) wrote the script. Joel Silver of Silver Pictures spearheads production alongside executive producers JJ Hook and Alison Winter.