UFC champion Conor McGregor is taking his talents to Hollywood. Amazon Studios announced Wednesday that McGregor will star in the “Roadhouse” remake. He will star alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, who plays the lead role in the updated version of the 80s action film.
According to the press release, the film will follow Dalton, a former UFC fighter who takes a job as a bouncer at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys and “soon discovers that all is not what it seems in this tropical paradise”. McGregor’s role has not yet been revealed, but he is expected to play an original character, not himself.
The cast also includes Billy Magnussen, Daniella Melchior, Gbemisola Akumelo and Lucas Gage. The original film was released in 1989 and was directed by Rowdy Harrington starring Patrick Swayze.
McGregor has already established his legacy in the sports world with numerous victories, including becoming the first double champion in UFC history when he defeated Eddie Alvarez in November 2016. His acting debut didn’t mean a career change though. It will be a side project for McGregor, who is recovering from a broken leg suffered last summer in a fight against Dustin Poirier.
“Conor McGregor is thrilled to extend his storied career to Hollywood and join Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of the beloved classic ‘Roadhouse’.” said McGregor’s spokeswoman, Karen J. Kessler. “While fighting is his primary focus, this is the start of another successful venture in the McGregor empire.”
She’s not the first professional fighter to hit the big screen. Kamaru Usman joins the cast of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which is set to be released in November. Another example is Ronda Rousey, who retired from the sport in 2018 but began appearing in movies long before hanging up the gloves. She has been in a handful of films, including “Furious 7” and “Entourage” in 2015 and “Mile 22” in 2018.
Roadhouse production is slated to begin in late August in the Dominican Republic.
