“Road House” stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor have broken their silence after the film director Doug Liman decided to boycott the premiere of their film in an interview with Total Film published Tuesday.
The stars said their piece after Liman openly critiqued Amazon MGM Studios’ decision not to theatrically release the film. Gyllenhaal expressed admiration for Liman’s dedication to cinema but highlighted Amazon’s transparency regarding the film’s direct-to-streaming trajectory.
“I adore Doug’s tenacity, and I think he is advocating for filmmakers, and film in the cinema, and theatrical releases. But, I mean, Amazon was always clear that it was streaming,” the actor told Total Film.
Jake Gyllenhaal has weighed in on Doug Liman‘s decision to boycott the premiere of their upcoming film #RoadHouse https://t.co/ZP3lAs2mkT
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 28, 2024
“I just want as many people to see it as possible,” Gyllenhaal continued. “And I think we’re living in a world that’s changing in how we see and watch movies, and how they’re made. What’s clear to me, and what I loved so much, was [Liman’s] deep love for this movie, and his pride at how much he cares for it, how good he feels it is, and how much people should see it.”
Adding to the discussion, McGregor, making his acting debut in the film, sided with the idea of a theatrical release but showed an understanding of the business dynamics at play. (RELATED: Watch The Latest Preview For ‘Ambulance’ With Jake Gyllenhaal)
“I’ve also sat watching a film on my computer, or in different places, and been so profoundly moved,” McGregor shared. “If the job of a story is to move people, I have been moved in both forms. I’m a deep lover of cinema and the theatrical release – but I also do really embrace the streaming world.”
The upcoming reimagining of the ’80s hit “Road House” has sparked considerable debate, not for its content, but for the controversy surrounding its release strategy. At the heart of the dispute is director Liman’s vocal criticism of the film’s distributor, Amazon MGM Studios, for opting to forego a traditional theatrical release in favor of streaming on Prime Video.
Liman took his grievances public in a Deadline op-ed last month, announcing his intention to boycott the film’s premiere at SXSW as a form of protest against what he sees as a disservice to a film made for the big screen.