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.
Alright, let’s settle this once and for all. What’s the best Bond movie? While we wait for the next actor to be cast, let’s do what Bond fans have been doing for six decades: argue about which one is actually the best.