Conor McGregor is headed to Hollywood.
The former two-division UFC Champion makes his acting debut in Doug Liman’s ‘Road House’, a remake from the popular 1989 movie starring Patrick Swayze. Jake Gyllenhaal is set to play Elwood Dalton, a former UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys Roadhouse. But, he soon realizes ‘paradise is not all it seems’.
Hard Knocks From ‘Knox’
In the film’s first trailer, McGregor is out and about as an antagonist, with his character creating all sorts of ruckus. ‘The Notorious’ isn’t your average henchman as he battles Gyllenhaal in a bar, punches him through a car window and more.
See the action for yourself below.
Take it outside. Road House is open for business March 21 on @primevideo. #RoadHouseMovie pic.twitter.com/4lm7QeO9ny
— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) January 25, 2024
McGregor’s character name is ‘Knox’, who looks to been hired to violently drive off Dalton from the road house he’s been sworn to protect – much like ‘Jimmy’ from the original 1989 movie.
“Once Knox is on the job, it’s over, baby,” McGregor said in one his lines from the trailer.
‘My Acting Debut Is Gonna Leave A Mark’
McGregor speaks on his acting role in ‘Road House’.
“Fighting, acting, there’s nothing this Mac can’t do!” McGregor wrote on X. “Here’s the trailer featuring my brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, and me going toe-to-toe in the wildest action movie ever – Road House! My acting debut is gonna leave a mark! Long live Knox!”
Fighting, acting, there’s nothing this Mac can’t do! Here’s the trailer featuring my brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, and me going toe-to-toe in the wildest action movie ever – Road House! My acting debut is gonna leave a mark! Long live Knox!” Road House is open for business March 21… pic.twitter.com/0DaNup9MWj
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 25, 2024
Controversy Surrounding The Film
‘Road House’ premieres on Mar. 21, streaming exclusively on Prime Video. The film will also open the SXSW festival on Mar. 8. Director Doug Liman has chosen to boycott the movie due to Amazon’s decision to ‘stream a movie so clearly made for the big screen.’
“What else could I have delivered to the studio?” Liman wrote on Deadline. “Nothing, it turns out. Because contrary to their public statements, Amazon has no interest in supporting cinemas. Amazon will exclusively stream Road House on Amazon’s Prime. Amazon asked me and the film community to trust them and their public statements about supporting cinemas, and then they turned around and are using Road House to sell plumbing fixtures.
“That hurts the filmmakers and stars of Road House who don’t share in the upside of a hit movie on a streaming platform. And they deprive Jake Gyllenhaal — who gives a career-best performance — the opportunity to be recognized come award season. But the impact goes far beyond this one movie. This could be industry shaping for decades to come.”
