Road House breaks records as Amazon MGM Studios’ biggest movie debut ever on Prime Video

April 11, 2024 | By Matt Miller, Sr. Copywriter

Man sitting in a bar

Road House, the tough-as-nails action reboot starring Jake Gyllenhaal, has made a knockout debut. In its first two weekends, the Amazon MGM Studios film attracted more than 50 million worldwide viewers on Prime Video, breaking records as the studio’s most-watched produced film debut ever worldwide.

“The groundbreaking, successful debut of Road House is a testament to the hard work and commitment from the entire Road House filmmaking team and the film’s cast led by the phenomenal Jake Gyllenhaal,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios. “The world is absolutely loving this entertaining, action-packed ride anchored by the performances of Jake, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchior, Darren Barnet, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Arturo Castro, JD Pardo, and the rest of our stellar cast. It’s great to see the film taking off with both fans of the iconic original, as well as a huge turnout from new audiences. This incredible film is really giving everyone something to talk about, and we couldn’t be more proud.”

The Doug Liman-directed film, a reboot of the 1989 cult classic of the same name, stars Gyllenhaal as Dalton, an ex–UFC fighter trying to escape his dark past and his penchant for violence, who is hired as a bouncer at a bar in the Florida Keys.

Road House premiered as the opening-night movie of the 2024 South by Southwest film festival and had global premieres in London and New York. Additionally, Road House talent were featured on covers of New York magazine, Men’s Health (in their first-ever digital cover), Total Film, L’Officiel, GQ Korea, and more. There was also an in-show integration for the film with SportsCenter on ESPN the week of the film’s release, including a custom on-air segment, in-studio digital signage, and hosted voiceover. Other marketing activations included a sponsorship of the UFC 299 mixed-martial-arts fight in Las Vegas and high-profile placements across sports and broad entertainment channels.

One of the most anticipated films of 2024, Road House arrives during a milestone year for Prime Video. This year marks the first in which brands can reach millions of Prime Video viewers with Streaming TV ads in shows and movies. Ads in Prime Video content have been introduced in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Austria, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, and Mexico, followed by Australia later this year.

“We’ve been thrilled to see how audiences have responded to Road House—it’s a testament to the premium original content available to viewers on Prime Video,” said Alan Moss, the vice president of global ad sales at Amazon Ads. “Prime Video has always been a destination for diverse audiences to enjoy some of the biggest shows and movies. It brings together millions of viewers across the world. Now with Prime Video ads, we’re excited to connect these viewers to the brands they love through the content they love to watch.”

In 2023, Amazon MGM Studios scored 68 Primetime Emmy nominations and 16 Golden Globe nominations for shows and films like Jury Duty, Air, Daisy Jones & the Six, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel became the most-ever Emmy-nominated streaming comedy with 80 nominations. Meanwhile, American Fiction, the social satire from director Cord Jefferson starring Jeffrey Wright, was nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, with Jefferson winning for best adapted screenplay. Wright and Sterling K. Brown were also nominated for acting in a leading role and supporting role, respectively.

Through Streaming TV ads in Prime Video, brands can reach millions of viewers where they enjoy the content that audiences and critics adore.

Road House is available to stream now on Prime Video, along with the 1989 MGM original film.