Road Housedirector Doug Liman sets the record straight about his feelings regarding streaming services, particularly with his latest film,The Instigators,being newly released on Apple TV+.Road Houseis a remakeof the 1989 film of the same name that stars Patrick Swayze. The 2024 version stars Jake Gyllenhaal as an ex-UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys road house. The Prime Video release was steeped in controversy following a contentious op-ed Liman wrote stating that Amazon doesn’t care about cinema.
Liman was displeased withRoad Housegoing directly to streaming, which is exactly what his newest film is doing.The Instigators,which stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, only earned a limited theatrical release before debuting on Apple TV+ in August. In a recent interview withEmpiremagazine, Liman clarified his feelings towardsRoad House’s release in light of his newest film’s streaming debut. It mostly came down to the expectations the filmmaker had forRoad House. He said:
Well, Road House I made for MGM. Wasn’t a streaming company, and it got bought by Amazon and they changed course on me. Instigators, I made for Apple. The reality is, I’ve never had an issue with streaming movies.
Other than what happened during the release, Road House was such a positive experience, and Instigators has been a positive experience every step along the way. And I’m the last person in the world to criticise anyone for putting something on streaming. Nobody went to see Swingers outside of a small group in New York and LA. And then Disney Home Video stepped in and said, “We think Miramax screwed up and that this could be a big movie.” So they gave it a massive push. My whole career launched with people watching Swingers at home.
The Instigators Review: Matt Damon’s Apple TV+ Comedy Is At Its Best When It’s Not Action-Focused
The Instigators isn’t as slick as a Guy Ritchie flick, though it’s cut from a similar cloth, but Matt Damon and Casey Affleck make it a fun ride.
Liman Reportedly Chose The Streaming Release When Faced With A Bigger Budget
Following Liman’sDeadlineop-ed, a report was released that revealed the truth behind theRoad Housestreaming deal. Within the report, the biggest takeaway was that Liman and Gyllenhaal were offered a $60 million budget with a theatrical release, or an $85 million budget with a streaming release. According to the report, the director and star chose the second option.
Originally,Road Housewas presented to MGM, but when Amazon bought MGM, things changed. A streaming release wasn’t discussed when Liman initially thought the film would belong to a movie studio. In his op-ed, he wrote that Amazon told him the release ofRoad Housewould depend on the final product he delivered. He said his film tested extremely well with audiences, which made him feel like it should get a theatrical release. Despite that, it was released exclusively to Prime Video. Luckily, though, it became a success.
Gyllenhaal is slated toreturn forRoad House 2at Amazon MGM, which is currently in development.
Liman’s differing responses toRoad HouseandThe Instigators' individual releases make sense when considering the circumstances under which both movies were made. Though Liman reportedly opted to take the larger budget forRoad Housedespite the streaming caveat, it wasn’t what he initially thought he was getting into. Thankfully, though, he holds no ill-will towards the overall production, which bodes well for the in-development sequel. Liman is not yet confirmed to return, but as the original director, he is likely a strong contender.
Road House
Cast
Road House is a remake of the original 1989 film, which followed protagonist Dalton, a Ph.D. educated bouncer at the roughest bar in the south known as the Double Deuce. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Dalton, with two major changes including Dalton being a retired UFC fighter and the bar locale being in the Florida Keys.
