Conor McGregor: what is Road House film with Jake Gyllenhaal where UFC champ will make acting debut

UFC champion Conor McGregor will make his feature film acting debut in the upcoming remake of the 1989 action film Road House, starring Patrick Swayze.

This is everything we know so far about the project - including who else is in the cast.

Is Conor McGregor going to be in a film?

It has been confirmed that McGregor has joined the cast of the upcoming action film Road House in what will be his major film debut.

Exact details of McGregor’s role in the film are yet to be confirmed, however according to Deadline, sources have said that the fighter will be playing an original character, and not just starring as himself.

A spokesperson for McGregor told MMA Junkie: “Conor McGregor is very excited to expand his storied career to Hollywood and join with Jake Gyllenhaal in this reimagining of Road House, a beloved classic.

“While fighting remains his top focus, this is the beginning of another successful venture in the McGregor empire.

“He is eager to get started filming.”

What is Road House?

The new film is actually going to be a remake of the 1989 film starring Patrick Swayze (Ghost, Dirty Dancing) and directed by Rowdy Herrington (Gladiator, Striking Distance).

Sam Elliot (Grace and Frankie, Justified), Kelly Lynch (Mr Mercedes, 90210) and Ben Gazzara (The Big Lebowski, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie) were also in the cast of the original film.

While the 1989 film followed Swayze as a highly sought after bouncer who moves to a small town in Missouri to bring a bit of order to a chaotic dive bar, the new film tells the story of a former UFC fighter who takes on a job as a bouncer at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys - but it doesn’t take long before he discovers that things aren’t exactly what they seem.

Road House will get a streaming release on Amazon Prime Video, with Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke saying that the film will be “not only a nod to fans of the original, but  it is also a big, fun, broad audience movie”.

The film is reportedly set to be shot in the Dominican Republic, which will serve as the backdrop for the Florida Keys.

A release date for the remake has not yet been announced.

Who else is in the cast?

Alongside McGregor, Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the former UFC fighter who takes on the job as a bouncer in the Florida Keys. You’ll likely recognise Gyllenhaal from his roles in films like The Guilty, Ambulance, Brokeback Mountain, Prisoners, Nightcrawler and Zodiac.

Also confirmed for the Road House remake are:

Doug Linman (Mr and Mrs Smith, The Bourne Identity) is set to direct, saying in a statement: “I’m thrilled to put my own spin on the beloved Road House legacy.

“And I can’t wait to show audiences what Jake and I are going to do with this iconic role.”