Ronda Rousey was initially slated to star in the remake of “Road House,” a move that appeared to be her next significant step into mainstream Hollywood. Ultimately, Conor McGregor took the role. While Rousey hasn’t dwelled on the missed opportunity, her explanation sheds light on the script development process in the film industry. In a conversation with Complex, Rousey detailed the behind-the-scenes events and her reasons for declining the project.
The initial concept envisioned Rousey in a classic action role, a casting that seemed to signal Hollywood’s willingness to build franchises around athletes from combat sports. However, Rousey found herself in a familiar situation: waiting for the material to meet her exacting standards.
Ronda Rousey Explains Why She Passed on “Road House”: “We Just Never Got a Script That Was 100% There”
“I believe the script is incredibly important,” Rousey shared with Complex. “We simply never received a script that was completely satisfactory. I think that when projects are rushed and movies are made without a solid script, it’s why so many bad movies are produced.”
This stance isn’t about Rousey being overly picky regarding the role. She sought advice from someone with intimate knowledge of the “Road House” legacy: Lisa Niemi, the widow of Patrick Swayze, who also appeared in the 2024 version of the film.
Rousey recounted their discussion: “I actually spoke with Patrick Swayze’s widow, and she said, ‘I want to get her blessing to do it.’ And she added, ‘Just make sure it doesn’t suck.’ And I responded, ‘Well, that’s a lot of pressure.'” [laughs] “I never reached a point where it wouldn’t have sucked.”
By the time the script issues remained unresolved, the industry had already moved on. With multiple “Road House” remakes in various stages of development or already completed, revisiting the material felt redundant. Instead of forcing a project that didn’t feel right, Rousey redirected her focus toward future prospects.
What particularly caught her attention during the interview was a perceived gap in action cinema that she believes remains unaddressed. “There’s never been a movie made with two women who know how to be on camera and know how to fight on camera simultaneously,” she stated. She is considering a potential collaboration with Gina Carano, another MMA athlete who has proven her talent on screen in productions like “Haywire” and “The Mandalorian.”
Regarding the 2024 “Road House” film, Rousey admitted she hasn’t watched much of it. “I watched the beginning, but I have two children,” she explained. Nowadays, her movie watching is frequently interrupted by her children’s requests for animated films. “I can’t recall the last time I was able to watch a movie from start to finish that wasn’t something like ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ or ‘Encanto.’ I saw the end of the fight and I saw the beginning.” Sometimes, the most effective creative decision is knowing when to decline, and other times, life simply intervenes, making it difficult to keep up with new releases.
Rousey’s comments emerge just days before her anticipated return to MMA. She is scheduled to face Gina Carano in the main event of MVP MMA 1 on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, which will be streamed live on Netflix as the platform’s inaugural live MMA broadcast. The fight is set for five five-minute rounds in the featherweight division under the Unified Rules of MMA, utilizing standard four-ounce gloves. This bout marks Rousey’s first MMA fight in nearly a decade and a highly anticipated matchup between two of the sport’s pioneering crossover stars.
