50M watched 'Road House,' but director 'didn't get a cent'
What's the story
Doug Liman, the director of the action film Road House, has voiced his dissatisfaction over not receiving compensation for the movie's streaming release. The film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, was originally slated for a theatrical release by MGM. However, after Amazon's acquisition of MGM, the release strategy was shifted to streaming. Liman clarified that his issue is not with streaming movies per se but with the lack of compensation following this change in distribution strategy.
Streaming triumph
'Road House' achieved massive success on Amazon Prime Video
Road House garnered significant attention on Amazon's streaming platform, Amazon Prime Video, attracting a massive 50M viewers worldwide in its first two weekends of availability. This achievement marked it as the studio's "most-watched produced film debut ever on a worldwide basis." Despite this impressive performance, Liman stated, "50M people saw Road House—I didn't get a cent, Gyllenhaal didn't get a cent, [producer] Joel Silver didn't get a cent. That's wrong." Amazon has yet to comment on these claims.
Release decision
Liman, Gyllenhaal chose streaming release over theatrical debut
Liman, along with star Gyllenhaal and producer Silver, had initially planned to boycott the world premiere of Road House at SXSW due to its streaming release. However, they were given a choice: produce the film for $60M with a theatrical release or take $85M for a streaming-only release. They opted for the latter, although it remains unclear what terms were agreed upon regarding backend pay.
Actor's insight
Gyllenhaal confirmed Amazon's clear intent for streaming release
Earlier, in an interview with Total Film magazine, Gyllenhaal confirmed that Amazon had always intended for a streaming release of Road House. The actor expressed his desire for the film to reach as many viewers as possible. Despite this, Liman has raised concerns about the lack of compensation based on the film's massive streaming success, contrasting his experience with Amazon to a more favorable one with Apple during the production of The Instigators.
Sequel plans
'Road House' sequel in development, Liman's involvement uncertain
Despite the whole controversy, Amazon announced in May that a sequel to Road House is currently in development, with Gyllenhaal set to reprise his lead role. However, it remains unknown whether Liman will be involved in the project. By mid-May, Road House had already attracted 80M global viewers on Prime Video since its launch on March 21, further solidifying its streaming success.