Hollywood A-Lister and star of the upcoming Road House remake, Jake Gyllenhaal, has had much success in his career that spans over 14 years. He is rather versatile, starring in detective roles such as The Zodiac and Prisoners, to Oscar-worthy performances in films like Night Crawler, Brokeback Mountain, and Southpaw.
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While many of his films have been solid, many haven’t regarded Gyllenhaal as an action star. But that could soon change as the Road House trailer was recently released and shows us just what he can do when tasked with kicking ass and taking names.
Why This Role Could Reshape Gyllenhaal’s Career
For years, Tom Cruise has been the go-to guy for action films since the 80’s. The actor will be turning 62 later this year and will soon have to put an end to stunt-focused roles. Someone has to fill those shoes, and that person could be none other than Gyllenhaal himself. He has proven to be disciplined enough to transform his body when a movie calls for it, such as he did for South Paw in 2015 and now for Road House 9 years later.
When the trailer was released earlier this month, fans on social media raved about how great the film looked. The fight sequences that were teased were phenomenal, posing the question if this could shift Gyllenhaal’s career into action hero stardom. Aside from being a solid fighter, he’s charming, witty, and extremely likable. These are the very same qualities that propelled Cruise into the hearts of movie fans alike when Top Gun was released in 1986.
Another contender to help Gyllenhaal lead the new school of action stars is Ryan Gosling, who is the same age (43). Ironically, both leading men have a film premiering at SXSW next month. Gosling will be co-starring with Emily Blunt in The Fall Guy set to release May 3rd. The two could very much fill Cruise’s shoes for at least the next decade or so.
Another aspect that makes Gyllenhaal a candidate for future blockbuster potential is that he isn’t attached to a particular franchise. Some actors get type-casted or play a role that’s hard for audiences to shake. Examples of this would be Daniel Radcliffe as, who many can’t unsee as Harry Potter, Jennifer Aniston as America’s sweetheart, and Michael Cera who is arguably still seen as Evan from Superbad.
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Nonetheless, Road House has the potential to be a big deal for Gyllenhaal as the early buzz, and the trailer looks promising. I am convinced this could have put up some major numbers in theaters, but instead, it’ll most likely break some streaming records for Prime Video. Road House debuts on the streamer on March 21.
About Road House
Release Date: March 21, 2024
Director: Doug Liman
Writer: Anthony Bagarozzi, Chuck Mondry, and R. Lance Hill
Executive Producers: Audie Attar, Aaron Auch, Alison Winter, and JJ Hook
Producers: Joel Silver, Stephen Mirrione, and Brian M. O’Neill
Cinematography: Henry Braham
Production: Greg Barry
Distribution: Amazon Prime Video
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Billy Magnussen, Darren Barnet, Post Malone, Joaquim de Almeida, Dominique Columbus, Arturo Castro, Beau Knapp, and JD Pardo.
Synopsis: Ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
Will you be checking out Road House at SXSW or waiting for it to hit Prime Video? Do you think Jake has action-star potential? How do you feel about a remake of the Swayze classic? Let us know what you think on social media!
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