Road House Director Addresses Release Criticism As New Movie Comes Direct To Streaming

Road House director 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 House is a remake of 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 with Road House going 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 with Empire magazine, Liman clarified his feelings towards Road House’s release in light of his newest film’s streaming debut. It mostly came down to the expectations the filmmaker had for Road 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.

What Really Happened With Road House’s Release

Liman Reportedly Chose The Streaming Release When Faced With A Bigger Budget

Following Liman’s Deadline op-ed, a report was released that revealed the truth behind the Road House streaming 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 House was 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 of Road House would 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.

Liman's differing responses to Road House and The Instigators' individual releases make sense when considering the circumstances under which both movies were made. Though Liman reportedly opted to take the larger budget for Road House despite 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.

Source: Empire Magazine