Ilya Naishuller, best known for the ultra-violent, first-person shooter experiment “Hardcore Henry” and the Bob Odenkirk-led “Nobody,” has officially stepped in to direct “Road House 2.”
This latest development comes after the abrupt exit of Guy Ritchie just two weeks ago — a departure that caught Amazon off guard and left them scrambling to secure a replacement in time to meet their planned September shoot date.
Naishuller recently directed “Heads of State,” the Idris Elba and John Cena action-comedy that debuted on Prime and racked up solid viewership numbers. It seems Amazon took note of that success and decided to stay in-house for Ritchie’s replacement. Still, going from Doug Liman to Ritchie to Naishuller feels like somewhat of a downgrade, artistically speaking.
The sequel to Liman’s 2024 reimagining of “Road House” appears to be going through a bit of an identity crisis.
The first film, a glossy, over-the-top retooling of the 1989 cult classic, turned into one of Prime Video’s most-watched original movies ever. Jake Gyllenhaal’s committed performance and Liman’s sleek direction helped alleviate a lot of the film’s tonal inconsistencies.
Liman brought a certain studio gravitas — the film may not have been good, exactly, but it was somewhat watchable from the comfort of your own couch. To say, I’m excited for Naishuller‘s sequel would be a lie.