Prime Video's upcoming film Roadhouse is generating buzz not only for its action-packed premise but also for the unique pairing of Hollywood heavyweight Jake Gyllenhaal and UFC champion Conor McGregor. Adapted from David Lee Henry and Hilary Henkin's screenplay for "Road House," this re-imagination of the 80s beloved hit features Jake Gyllenhaal portraying ex-UFC fighter Dalton. As Dalton assumes the role of a bouncer at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys, the narrative unfolds to reveal that this paradise is not all that it seems.
Gyllenhaal expressed his admiration for McGregor saying, “Conor is a legend, and I was grateful and humbled to work with him and do fight scenes with him…and also equally terrified. We needed a character who you really felt could beat Dalton, and we got that in Conor’s performance as Knox.”
Gyllenhaal, known for his dedication to his craft, spoke about McGregor's surprising humility. “I think we all had great respect for the fight game. The same thing happened with Conor when he came to the movie set. He came in and said, ‘I’m a white belt. I’m here to learn. I don’t know anything about making movies or acting, and I want to learn.’ That type of humility in that space, I tried to bring the same way on the opposite end. I don’t know that much about the fight game. I have great respect for it, and I wanted to learn.”
McGregor echoed the sentiment, praising the film's fight scenes and stunt team. "For real, I've never seen fight scenes like that in any movie," he said. “The connection on the target and the sound and the speed and the place. I've never seen anything like that in a movie. That's a hat tip to Garrett Warren and his stunt team who were very helpful for us too, all of us on set and we made magic on that movie.” Adding to the collaborative spirit on set, McGregor said, "Jake has 75 movies under his belt, I have 75 bar fights under my belt. We were a perfect combination together. The whole cast was very patient with me and very helpful to me. I was very blessed, very lucky to land where I landed in this business."
Roadhouse, with its unlikely pairing and emphasis on mutual learning, promises to be an action film with surprising depth. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and McGregor, a seasoned actor and a fighting champion stepping into the world of cinema, will surely be a highlight. After a momentous premiere at the SXSW 2024 Film & TV Festival, the Doug Liman directorial Roadhouse is all set to globally premiere on Prime Video on March 21 in English with dubs in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.