Road House’s Remake Makes This Upcoming Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Movie Even More Exciting

The slightly surprising success of Road House is not only great news for a flagging 80s action movie franchise, but also makes an upcoming Ben Affleck and Matt Damon project even more exciting. Due to the enduring popularity of the original, there was no small degree of skepticism around the prospect of a Road House remake. However, now that the movie has secured a higher average Rotten Tomatoes rating than the original and been generally well-received by audiences, it’s understandable that viewers are excitedly turning their attention towards other similar projects in the pipeline from the same team.

There are several reasons for Road House‘s positive critical reception. Not only does the movie honor and respectfully update the original story, but it does so while successfully capturing an intoxicating irreverent tone. Although action is the primary focus, there are also moments of laugh-out-loud comedy, and an enjoyably over-the-top performance from Conor McGregor as the film’s supporting villain. This combination gives Road House a distinctive tone and counts as a clear success for the filmmakers – making one particular upcoming release even more exciting.

Road House’s Remake Makes The Instigators More Exciting

Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and starring the latter, Road House‘s success is great news for The Instigators. Currently in production, the Apple TV+ movie revolves around a robbery gone wrong, resulting in two thieves kidnapping one of their therapists. On the surface, this premise doesn’t seem altogether similar to Road House‘s story of vigilante justice and bar fighting. However, the key factor in connecting the two is the involvement of director Doug Liman.

A successful director with a distinguished career going back three decades, Doug Liman is a huge factor in Road House‘s success. His involvement helped elevate the movie’s action sequences, incorporating creative camera angles and making the fights seem much more dynamic than the straightforward punch-ups featured in the Patrick Swayze original. Liman has a distinguished history in this regard, having previously helmed genre hits like The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. While it’s not known how much action will be involved in The Instigators, the premise and Liman’s involvement post-Road House make the project potentially exciting.

Road House Was A Big Return To Form For Doug Liman

Given Liman’s track record, a collaboration with Affleck and Damon was always going to be intriguing. However, before Road House, the director was actually on a significant downward trend. His two previous releases, Chaos Walking and Locked Down, both received generally negative reviews from critics, while even critically successful projects, such as Edge of Tomorrow and American Made, failed to make much of an impact at the box office, relative to their budgets.

Although Road House was released straight onto Amazon Prime Video, the strong critical reaction and positive word of mouth around the project represent a change in fortune for Liman. A key factor in this change is the movie’s markedly lighthearted tone – representing a clear move away from more self-serious projects like Locked Down and Chaos Walking. In this regard, Road House is more similar to a Liman success story like American Made, which earned a modest $134 million against a $50 million budget but received critical praise for its seamless blend of thrills and laughs.

The Instigators Will Build On Road House’s Biggest Strength

Given that Road House‘s comedic aspects combined with its action are the films greatest attributes, The Instigators seems like a great way for Liman to build on the film’s success. Although it’s currently unknown to what extent the upcoming movie with incorporate humor alongside action, its premise seems to suggest something adjacent to Road House‘s tone. The basic set up involves a heist gone wrong, with two thieves forced into kidnapping their therapist as they attempt to evade justice. Considering how outlandish this core concept seems, it’s difficult to see how The Instigators will avoid a gently comedic tone akin to Road House.

Given how Liman’s more self-serious projects have performed in recent years, following up Road House with another more caper-like movie can only be a good thing. Just as Road House relied on larger-than-life characters like Dalton and Knox to succeed, it seems inevitable that combining two thieves and a therapist will involve similarly bombastic performances from the likes of Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. With the success of the 2024 remake, Liman has once again proved that stories involving similar characters are where his greatest strengths as a director lie.

The Instigators Will Be A Big Reunion For Jason Bourne Fans (& That’s Extra Exciting)

While Road House proves that Liman still has what it takes to deliver entertaining action movies, another intriguing aspect of The Instigators is the prospect of seeing the 58-year-old reunite with former collaborator Matt Damon. Despite directing major projects like Edge of Tomorrow, Liman’s most recognizable movie to date probably remains the 2002 spy thriller The Bourne Identity. Now regarded as one of the most influential action movies ever made, The Bourne Identity started the titular Bourne franchise, pioneered the use of so-called “shaky-cam” for realistic fight sequences, and turned Damon into a star.

Despite their successful collaboration, Damon and Liman have not worked together since. Considering the cultural impact of The Bourne Identity and its revolutionary effect on the action genre, the prospect of seeing the pair work together once again is undeniably exciting. Admittedly, it’s not known to what extent, if any, The Instigators will mirror the distinctive subdued, neo-noir tone of The Bourne Identity. It’s also true that The Bourne Identity is completely different from Road House. Nevertheless, given how significant their first project proved to be, Liman and Damon working together again makes The Instigators an intriguing release.