In a long-anticipated cinematic debut, former UFC champion Conor McGregor will star in a remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze action picture Road House, which will be released on Prime Video. As previously reported by Deadline, he will feature in the film alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. Billy Magnussen, Daniela Melchior, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Lukas Gage, Hannah Love Lanier, Travis Van Winkle, B.K. Cannon, Arturo Castro, Dominique Columbus, Beau Knapp, and Bob Menery will also appear in the film. It was a cheesy but popular action film starring Swayze as a new bouncer who infuriates a local business tycoon who wants to control every business in the town.
Gyllenhaal will portray a former UFC fighter turned bouncer who works at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys in Prime Video’s retelling of Swayze. It takes him a while to learn that Tropical Paradise isn’t quite what it first appears to be. Production will begin in the Dominican Republic later this month, and the film will be released internationally. McGregor’s character is still a mystery, although it appears to be an original creation, rather than a cameo appearance by the actor.
Given his brash demeanour and widespread fame, finding a part for him in the movies has long been a hot topic. Even so, McGregor has been wary about making the leap, stating he prefers to wait until he finds the proper film before making the transition. As soon as he heard about the remake of Road House, he went back and viewed the original, which he had never seen before, and leapt at the chance to work with director Doug Liman and writers Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. Gyllenhaal’s character has ties to the UFC, so it’s only natural that McGregor would begin his cinematic career in the same place.
McGregor is well-known in mixed martial arts circles for his accomplishments in the UFC, where he won many championships and set a record by holding titles in two weight classes at the same time (featherweight and lightweight). As well boxer being one of the league’s most well-liked and divisive figures in recent years, he hasn’t shied away from taking on high-profile opponents like Floyd Mayweather Jr. For acting, he’s just done commercials and promotional videos for his larger business empire.
A statement from his publicist, Karen Kessler, was issued on his first significant acting role:
Conor McGregor is thrilled to join Jake Gyllenhaal in this reworking of “Road House,” a classic that he has always admired. As long as he continues to focus on fighting, this is the beginning of yet another great business endeavour for the McGregor empire. He can not wait to get started on the project.