How Jake Gyllenhaal channeled Patrick Swayze in ‘Road House’ remake

Jake Gyllenhaal (right) with Billy Magnusen —PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRIME VIDEO

The opening sequence of director Doug Liman’s action-packed, humor-driven film “Road House,” available on Prime Video beginning March 21, aptly sets the course of the cleverly reimagined movie inspired by the 1989 cult favorite starring Patrick Swayze. In the scene, a seemingly invincible fighter is seen suddenly shaking in his boots as he vehemently refuses to fight his next match—with former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Edward Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal)—even after just breezing through six consecutive matches in the Octagon!

Indeed, while action aficionados can bask in the slam-bang, mano a mano action that Jake, mixed martial arts legend and professional boxer Conor McGregor, and their battle-scarred costars are thrust into, it’s the film’s witty wisecracks and winking humor that make the film such a viewing hoot.

When we told Jake in our one-on-one interview last Wednesday how much the new “Road House’s” potent combination of white-knuckle action and clever comedy cracked us up, the 43-year-old Oscar nominee (“Brokeback Mountain,” “Nightcrawler,” “Donnie Darko”) laughed as he discussed the production’s new take on the production that was first seen on the big screen 35 years ago.

“Oh, yeah, this film is a whole new evolution of that movie,” Jake pointed out when we asked what fans of the 1989 film can expect from the new version. “I mean, it’s different … it’s a reimagining of the whole idea. Obviously, there’s no one who can beat Patrick Swayze, but really, this update is a whole other thing, you know?”

Kicks and punches

In “Road House,” Jake is cast as ex-UFC fighter Dalton who’s trying to escape his dark past and penchant for violence. He’s barely scraping by on the reputation that still precedes him when he is spotted by Frankie (Jessica Williams), owner of a roadhouse in the Florida Keys that attracts the worst clientele.

Frankie hires Dalton to be her head bouncer in the hope of stopping violent gangsters who are working for crime boss Brandt (Billy Magnussen) from destroying her beloved bar. Even five to one, Brandt’s crew is no match for Dalton’s skills and experience.

But the stakes get higher upon the arrival of ruthless gun-for-hire, Knox (Conor), who’s more dangerous than anything or anyone Dalton has ever faced in the Octagon. It doesn’t take long before the brawls and bloodshed escalate.

The film also stars Daniela Melchior as Ellie (played by Kelly Lynch in the original), a local doctor who forges an immediate connection with Dalton.

Rounding out the main cast are Joaquim de Almeida, as the corrupt Sheriff of Glass Key; JD Pardo, Arturo Castro, Beau Knapp and Catfish Jean, respectively, as Dell, Moe, Vince and Clyde, members of Brandt’s crew; BK Cannon as Laura, the roadhouse bartender; newcomer Hannah Lanier, as a local teenager who befriends Dalton; and Lukas Gage and Dominique Columbus as Dalton’s fellow bouncers, Billy and Reef.

If you like kicks and punches that connect and chases that can drive viewers to the edge of their seats, “Road House” won’t disappoint.

Conor McGregor (left) and Gyllenhaal share a light moment on the set of “Road House”

In classic Doug Liman fashion, the movie is guaranteed to whet viewers’ appetite for fun-filled entertainment that merges action, comedy and unabashed violence. It’s a thoroughly fascinating action yarn spun around Jake’s movie-star presence, intensity and physical credulity in the role.

A good time

“Fans of the original movie can look forward to a new form of action and fighting,” Jake asserted. “We developed a whole new fight choreography for this, in which you’ll see how actors on a movie take hits [in action scenes] that has never been done before.

“But as you mentioned, it has more sense of humor that makes it even more appealing. There’s a real absurdist quality to the whole film, which I adore. It really runs the whole gamut. You get everything that you want—which in my opinion is important these days, especially because it’s a movie that brings joy and laughter to people.”

Jake disclosed that even he finds himself laughing every time he sees the film.

“I mean, every time I watch this—and I’ve seen it many times now—I find myself laughing out loud even in the fight sequences. And it’s such a good feeling, given everything that’s going on in the world these days. It’s so nice to have a space where you can just go, ‘I know I’m going to have a good time!’”

Of course, we didn’t expect any less from Jake. After all, this is the actor who has easily parlayed his vulnerability and versatility into acting gold in high-profile projects with the formidable likes of Heath Ledger (Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain”), Anne Hathaway (Edward Zwick’s “Love & Other Drugs”) and Hugh Jackman (Denis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners”).

We told Jake that we were also swept off our feet when we saw how easily he pulled off portraying George Seurat in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s well-loved musical “Sunday in the Park with George” on Broadway in 2017.

Since he also worked with Patrick Swayze in 2001’s “Donnie Darko,” we asked Jake if he channeled some of the things he knew about the actor—who died in 2009—in his version of Dalton.

“Well, there are things that are inherent in the role,” Jake explained. “There are pieces of Patrick in it and I think what he managed to do was establish a real sense of power in the character … imbuing it with real strength from the character’s stillness.

Daniela Melchior as Ellie

“It’s a different Dalton now, but the character has remained still. He just watches and observes until he can’t anymore, really. So when he decides to get physical, there’s real reason for it.

“But I do think the original Dalton had that, as well. You know, just measuring and knowing when to move—I think any great fighter would do the same thing. It’s like finding the right space and angle within which to move. He just listens and observes until it’s time to act on his impulses.”

Jake explained in an interview with Reuters at the film’s recent London premiere why it was essential for him to celebrate his late costar’s legacy.

Capture humor

“Patrick was always so lovely to me,” he recounted. “He was so supportive at the beginning of my career. I carried with me some of the tattoos that we designed in honor of him, just because I really loved him.”

There was another reason why Jake decided to do “Road House,” despite the risk of drawing the ire of fans who, as the saying goes, “don’t want anything fixed if it ain’t broken.”

The actor shared, “I’ve known Doug Liman for over 15 years now, almost 20 years. And I’ve always wanted to work with him. We’ve been friends through that time. So, when he came to me with this idea, it felt so much fun—and funny. I thought this would be a great one to do with Doug.”

The 58-year-old director has worked with Hollywood superstars in critically acclaimed, high-octane actioners—and “Road House” is no exception. Liman’s previous blockbusters include Matt Damon’s “The Bourne Identity,” Tom Cruise’s “Edge of Tomorrow,” and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.”

Jake Gyllenhaal as Dalton

Explaining further, Jake said, “I also loved the way Dalton’s character was written when I read it. I liked the fact that there are a few scenes from the 1989 production that are still in the movie when I read the script … like that slap fight scene, which we changed a bit.

“But the first lines of dialogue—where Dalton asks, ‘Do you have insurance?’ and all that stuff—are still there. Even the last line, where the young girl says to me, ‘You know, you may not be the hero, but you’re not the villain either’—even those ideas from the original movie, I really loved!

“It was just the fun of it that really made me want to go into this … I found all that humor very appealing. And knowing that Doug is a real comedian who knows how to capture humor was a huge draw for me.” INQ