Amazon Prime Video has reported that the 1989 classic action movie, Road House, is now their biggest ever global movie debut. Since its release on March 21, the remake of the famous ’80s film has been watched by 50 million viewers. Headlined by Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role, the cast also includes Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Darren Barnet, and Billy Magnussen. Amazon’s MGM Studios head, Jennifer Salke, said the feat is a testament to the cast’s hard work and commitment. She added Road House is great for new audiences as well as fans of the iconic original.
Earlier this year, director Doug Liman boycotted the film’s premiere at the SXSW film festival because Amazon Prime Video opted for a streaming-only release. Liman had originally signed to MGM to direct Road House, before Amazon acquired the film studio for $8.5bn. He said that he would “not be attending” the film’s premiere in Texas and called out Amazon for the decision to stream the film exclusively on its platform. Liman added that Amazon initially sought the film community’s trust with its public statements supporting cinemas. Then, he claimed, it used Road House to sell plumbing fixtures.
Liman defended his opposition to Amazon’s decision, stating that he was not opposed to streaming movies, having made a number for Amazon himself. However, he insisted that he was against Amazon undercutting MGM’s theatrical business and that speaking up about the company was necessary to stand up for the film industry. Liman’s open letter garnered attention for his strong views on Amazon’s supposed lack of support for cinemas.
Despite Liman’s boycott, Road House still managed to win over a broad range of audiences and achieve what no other movie had in Amazon Prime Video’s history. The popularity of the film’s debut shows that such streaming services have the potential to attract mass appeal and viewer momentum when the right project, cast, and storyline converge. The case of Road House being remade for a new global audience is testament to this point
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