- Director says he didn't get "a penny"
Doug Liman (59) may have had a big hit with his namesake remake of the 1989 classic "Road House" for Prime Video, but the US director is reportedly upset with how the film was released and the compensation he received. He and lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal (43) allegedly did not receive additional money for the film, despite reports from anonymous sources suggesting they did.
"Road House" was intended for theaters
"Road House" was originally made for MGM to be released in theaters, with everyone being paid as if it were a theatrical release, Liman told IndieWire. However, Amazon changed that and no one was compensated for the change. "Not only did it have an impact on the industry - 50 million people have seen 'Road House' - but I didn't get a cent, Jake Gyllenhaal didn't get a cent, and Joel Silver didn't get a cent. That's wrong," Liman said.
Reports of Liman being considered as the director and Gyllenhaal as the lead for the "Road House" remake first surfaced in 2021. A February 2022 article from Variety reported that Liman had met with MGM executives in late 2021 to discuss the project, with a streaming release not yet on the table.
"They took all the money"
After Amazon acquired MGM, the plan changed, and it was decided that "Road House" would be released on Prime Video in 2022. Insiders familiar with the negotiations said that filmmakers and Gyllenhaal were given a choice: they could make the film for $60 million and release it in theaters, or they could take $85 million and release it exclusively on streaming. "They took all the money," an insider said.
Liman has since said that he plans to boycott the film's premiere due to the streaming decision. Gyllenhaal, however, told Total Film that he admires Liman's "tenacity" and supports his stance on filmmakers, cinema, and theatrical releases. Amazon, however, had always been clear that the film would be released on streaming. "I just want as many people as possible to see the film," Gyllenhaal said. "And I think we live in a world where the way we watch and make films is changing."
"Road House" has been a big success for Prime Video. In May, it was reported that a sequel is in the works, with Gyllenhaal set to return. At the time, official figures showed that nearly 80 million people worldwide had watched the remake. That number is likely to have increased since then.
Despite the film's success on Prime Video, director Doug Liman expressed his frustration, stating, "They took all the money" by opting for a streaming release over a theatrical one. This decision reportedly resulted in Liman and lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal not receiving additional compensation for the project, despite initial plans for a theatrical release with MGM.
