‘Road House’ is getting a sequel, but this one has nothing to do with Jake Gyllenhaal’s reboot
Doug Liman isn’t done with ‘Road House,’ but this time, he’s doing things entirely on his own terms. Following months of public frustration over how Amazon handled his 2024 ‘Road House’ remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal, the filmmaker is now developing a completely separate sequel. It will connect directly to the 1989 original rather than the recent reboot, as per Collider. The new project, reportedly titled ‘Road House: Dylan,’ is based on an unused script from R. Lance Hill, the screenwriter of the original ‘Road House.’ Liman has officially optioned Hill’s screenplay, setting up a rival continuation that deliberately cuts ties with the Gyllenhaal-led film and with Amazon altogether.
So far, plot details remain under wraps, but one thing is certain: ‘Road House: Dylan’ will not share continuity with the reboot that dominated Prime Video the previous year. Instead, Liman’s version is positioned as a narrative successor to Patrick Swayze’s cult-classic tale of a philosophical bouncer cleaning up a corrupt small-town bar. Liman’s decision to return to the franchise is hardly surprising. The director openly criticized Amazon for shelving plans for a theatrical run despite positive test screenings that, according to him, proved it was a crowd movie built for the big screen.
Liman and veteran producer Joel Silver even reportedly screened the film for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in an attempt to change the company’s mind, but their efforts didn’t move the needle. The fallout was public and severe, effectively ending Liman’s partnership with Amazon MGM. Ironically, the film he fought so hard for went on to break records for the streamer. It became Prime Video’s most-watched original movie debut with more than 50 million viewers in its first two weeks, as reported by Deadline. Still, Liman made it clear he felt robbed of the cinematic experience the movie deserved.
But Liman’s next move is complicated by an ongoing legal battle over who actually owns the rights to the franchise. Hill, the writer whose script inspired the original 1989 film, has filed a lawsuit claiming that the rights to his screenplay should have reverted to him under Section 203 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This Act allows authors to reclaim ownership 35 years after selling their work. Hill’s lawyers argue that his ‘Road House’ script was written independently, as a spec script, without studio oversight, meaning the rights should have reverted to him in late 2023.
Amazon MGM, however, maintains that because Hill sold the work through his own company, it qualifies as a work-for-hire, which would permanently assign ownership to the studio. That dispute remains unresolved, but Liman’s involvement with Hill’s script effectively places him on Hill’s side of the courtroom. Meanwhile, Amazon’s officially sanctioned ‘Road House 2’ is still moving ahead, albeit after its own series of shake-ups. Following Liman’s exit, Guy Ritchie briefly came aboard to direct what would’ve been his third collaboration with Jake Gyllenhaal, before also departing the project in July.
The director’s chair has since gone to Ilya Naishuller, best known for ‘Nobody.’ That film continues production with Gyllenhaal returning as ex-UFC fighter-turned-bar enforcer Elwood Dalton. Dave Bautista steps in as his new adversary, taking over the antagonist role initially filled by Conor McGregor, while Leila George and Aldis Hodge round out the cast. As a result, two dueling visions of ‘Road House’ are now in motion.