Conor McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion, made his Hollywood debut with Road House in an antagonistic role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. The film was the remake of the cult classic 1989 film of the same name, which starred the late Patrick Swayze and Kelly Lynch.
“The Notorious” claimed he became the highest-paid debutant in his role as Knox.
McGregor’s performance received mixed responses from critics, but the fight sequences with Gyllenhaal garnered critical acclaim.
Sequel of Conor McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal Starrer Gets Big-Name Director
Doug Liman directed Road House, released in 2024, but he had issues with the post-production. Liman, who had directed The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs Smith, among other critically-acclaimed action films, wanted the film’s theatrical release.
Unfortunately, the film streamed on Prime Video.
Gyllenhaal expressed interest in a sequel to the film, which was officially announced in May 2024. According to Variety, Guy Ritchie, one of Hollywood’s sought-after directors, is set to direct the sequel.
Will Beall will write the screenplay for the sequel. Beall also wrote for Aquaman, Justice League, Gangster Squad, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Road House 2 will be Ritchie’s third collaboration with Amazon MGM. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, a commercial disappointment, was the first, while the second is the forthcoming action thriller In the Grey, starring Henry Cavill.
Ritchie’s last film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, didn’t do box office numbers, though the Cavill-starrer received a positive critical response.
Ritchie’s last commercially successful film was Wrath of Man, starring Jason Statham. Next for the 56-year-old is Fountain of Youth, which will stream on Apple TV+ on May 23. The film has an ensemble cast that includes John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson, Stanley Tucci, Laz Alonso, and Eiza Gonzalez.
Will Conor McGregor Be in the Road House Sequel?
During the promotional tour for Road House, McGregor claimed that the job was even more challenging than his preparation for the fights. He even claimed he wouldn’t likely be acting again, but he later changed his mind.
Last year, McGregor teased that he would be in the sequel by posting an Instagram photo of himself with Gyllenhaal, captioning it “Road House 2.” The 36-year-old reportedly made between $6-10M for his role in the first film, overtaking Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who made $5.5M for The Mummy Returns.
McGregor’s character, Knox, didn’t die in the film, though it was thought that Gyllenhaal’s character, Dalton, had killed him.
In the film’s mid-credits scene, the Irishman was seen walking out of the hospital, implying Knox survived the injuries inflicted by Dalton.