The director of the upcoming “Road House” reboot is upset that the film won’t be released in theaters. This decision could potentially cost actor Jake Gyllenhaal an Oscar nomination. However, Lisa Niemi Swayze, the widow of original “Road House” star Patrick Swayze, believes that the director’s aim for awards recognition is misplaced. According to her, the original film was never meant to win Academy Awards and was simply intended to be a guilty pleasure.
Doug Liman, the director of the reboot, has criticized Amazon for choosing to release the film exclusively on its Prime Video streaming service instead of giving it a theatrical run. Liman believes that this decision deprives Jake Gyllenhaal of the recognition he deserves for his career-best acting performance in the movie. In protest, Liman has decided to boycott the SXSW festival, where the film was supposed to premiere.
Lisa Niemi Swayze clarifies that she is not criticizing Doug Liman or the new movie. Instead, she emphasizes that the original “Road House” was purely for entertainment purposes and was never intended to be an Oscar-worthy film. She also reveals that Patrick Swayze had a great respect for Jake Gyllenhaal as an actor and considered him a talented performer.
The debate over the benefits of a theatrical release versus a streaming release continues to rage on. However, Lisa Niemi Swayze refrains from giving her opinion on the matter, stating that she is not qualified to weigh in.
Ultimately, Lisa believes that her late husband’s “Road House” was meant to be a fun and enjoyable movie. It seems that the reboot will follow the same path, despite the director’s disappointment.