Road House director Doug Liman made a bold move by announcing that he was boycotting its SXSW premiere due to its straight-to-streaming release. During an exclusive interview with Hollywood Life, film star Dominique Columbus responded to the controversy and how he feels about their remake not getting a theatrical release.
“At the end of the day, it’s out of my control,” Dominique — who plays Reef in the new Road House — noted. “I am not in the position to make that call. I am excited for people to see it. The fact that it’s coming out regardless is what matters.”
While emphasizing that he’s excited and grateful for the opportunity to star in the Jake Gyllenhaal-marketed movie, Dominique also described Doug as an “amazing [person] to work with” and “so meticulous on the set.”
“I really learned a lot of what to do from this guy,” the City of Lies actor added about the filmmaker.
Doug made headlines in January for his Deadline guest column when he announced that he would not attend the March 8 premiere of Road House because he was promised a theatrical release prior to Amazon Prime Video’s acquisition of MGM, Doug claimed.
“My plan had been to silently protest Amazon’s decision to stream a movie so clearly made for the big screen,” he wrote in column. “But Amazon is hurting way more than just me and my film. If I don’t speak up about Amazon, who will?”
Describing his new movie as “ground breaking” in terms of its action sequences, Doug also pointed out, “Jake Gyllenhaal gives a career-defining performance in a role he was born to play. Audiences will want to see UFC mega-star Conor McGregor take his debut swing at Jake on the big screen. The reality is there’s nothing quite so fun as a good bar fight.”
The screenwriter of the original cult classic, R. Lance Hill — a.k.a David Lee Henry — also filed a lawsuit against MGM and Amazon Studios for copyright infringement and accused the company of using artificial intelligence to “replicate the voices” of the cast in the remake, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Doug isn’t the first to speak out against a film’s straight-to-streaming release. In 2021, Scarlett Johansson made headlines for suing Disney for allegedly breaching her contract by releasing her film Black Widow on Disney+ instead of in theaters. Both parties settled the lawsuit.
As for the Road House remake, Dominique teased that action fans and movie buffs alike will enjoy their recreation of the 1980s Patrick Swayze film.
“There [are] a lot of amazing moments with all of us, with Jake as well,” Dominique told Hollywood Life, before adding that they “stepped it up” with action sequences in comparison to the original flick. “The s**t that we all did on this project was very, very fun, but it required a lot of hours of work. … You know, you’re on set for three and a half, four months with these guys.”
Dominique also teased what viewers can expect from his character, Reef, whose action scenes were accomplished without a stunt double — “I did all my own stunts in this film,” the Los Angeles-based actor pointed out.
“He is the friend that everybody wants,” Dominique added about his character. “He’s the friend that has your back whether you’re in the worst situation or the best situation, he’s going to be there.”
Road House will have its premiere at SXSW on Friday, March 8, and is scheduled for a Thursday, March 21, release on Prime Video.