Doug Liman’s Road House Sequel: Dylan’s Connection to Original Film

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Fans of the original 1989 film Road House received exciting news on Wednesday: director Doug Liman, who recently made the 2024 remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal for Amazon/MGM, has secured the rights to create a sequel to the original film, tentatively titled Road House: Dylan.

The screenplay was penned by R. Lance Hill, the original writer of Road House (though he used the pseudonym David Lee Henry). However, any future sequels depend on the outcome of a lawsuit Hill filed, claiming he owns the rights to the franchise. According to Deadline, director Doug Liman intends to produce Hill’s sequel if Hill wins the legal battle.

It will likely be a while before the legal issues are settled, and unfortunately, very little is known about the planned sequel to the original Road House beyond its title. The original film doesn’t feature a character named Dylan, but the subtitle suggests this new movie will heavily connect to the first one.

Dylan Is Most Likely The Son Of Patrick Swayze’s James Dalton

The movie Road House centers on James Dalton, an ex-bouncer from New York City, who takes a job turning around a rough bar called the Double Deuce in Jasper, Missouri. In doing so, he also helps to reform the whole town. Its many exciting fight scenes and action made Road House a beloved cult film over the years.

Dalton meets Elizabeth “Doc” Clay (Kelly Lynch) early in the movie, and she tends to his injuries. They quickly begin a romantic relationship and are still together by the end, leading viewers to believe they may have had a child, possibly a son named Dylan.

Considering how much people still love the original movie after 36 years, a sequel featuring Patrick Swayze’s iconic characters would be a beautiful tribute to him, especially since he sadly passed away in 2009 at the age of 57 after battling pancreatic cancer. If a sequel is made, it’s important that it’s better than the previous, direct-to-video release.

This Project Would Have To Retcon The 2006 Direct-To-Video Sequel Road House 2

Jonathan Schaech both wrote and acted in the 2006 film Road House 2. He played Shane Tanner, a DEA agent and the son of the original film’s protagonist, James Dalton. The story follows Tanner as he travels to Louisiana to help his uncle protect his bar. The movie also reveals that James Dalton had been killed several years earlier.

The movie’s ending reveals that Wild Bill Decarie, played by Jake Busey, was paid by Victor Cross (Richard Norton) to kill James Dalton. Shane finally finds peace knowing who was responsible for his father’s death. Because Kurt Russell wasn’t involved in this sequel, it’s understandable he would write his own continuation years later, and it’s likely he’d disregard the events of this direct-to-video film.

Because many fans don’t know a sequel was originally made for video release, most likely they won’t mind if Hill creates his own story for James Dalton’s son. However, Hill might not be able to do this legally, depending on the outcome of the current lawsuit between him, his lawyer Marc Toberoff, and Amazon/MGM.

What’s At Stake With R. Lance Hill’s Lawsuit Against Amazon/MGM

R. Lance Hill says he wrote the screenplay for Road House in 1986 without getting paid upfront – he hoped to sell it later. Because he wasn’t hired to write it, he believes he should have regained the rights to the script if it wasn’t purchased.

The legal case centers around the U.S. Copyright Act, specifically Section 203, which the plaintiff argues gives creators the right to reclaim their work 35 years after selling it. He states that this happened with his screenplay on November 11, 2023 – before Amazon released its remake of Road House, directed by him – and that the remake violates the rights he regained.

Amazon/MGM argues that Hill sold the script through his company, Lady Ames Ltd., meaning the company, not Hill himself, owns the work. They believe this invalidates his right to cancel the copyright agreement. Hill countered by claiming Lady Ames was simply a reflection of his own business identity.

Hill states he notified Amazon/MGM in November 2021 that he intended to revoke the copyright license, claiming they used artificial intelligence to recreate voices and dialogue for the film – a practice he believes would violate agreements with the Screen Actors Guild and Directors Guild of America. The Road House remake was released in March 2024 and garnered an impressive 50 million views in its first two weekends.

Doug Liman’s Shift From The Remake To An Original Road House Sequel

Okay, so as a movie fan, I found this interesting. Doug Liman, the director, signed on to do the Road House remake way back in November 2021 for MGM. Then, just a few months later, Amazon bought MGM. Liman recently wrote an article saying his deal was specifically for a movie that would play in theaters, but Amazon decided to release it only on Prime Video instead. It’s a bit frustrating as a fan to see that happen, you know?

The director publicly criticized Amazon, claiming they weren’t truly committed to supporting movie theaters, even though Amazon had announced a $1 billion investment in theatrical films – which they touted as the biggest commitment to cinemas from an internet company. This criticism, along with reported tension with Amazon executives, led the company to hire Ilya Naishuler (known for the film Nobody) to direct the sequel.

Liman initially connected with Hill during the making of the first film, and that connection led to Liman securing the rights to a sequel and planning to direct it himself, which supported Hill’s claim of ownership. The ongoing legal case could be quite interesting, as it involves not just one, but potentially two future Road House movies.

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2025-10-30 22:19