Ronda Rousey on Road House remake: 'It is a great honor'
The new and first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, 28-year-old Ronda Rousey, will be playing the lead role of the reboot 1980's classic "Road House." According to SB Nation, the original film featured Patrick Swayze and he played Dalton, a bar bouncer who takes a job in a rowdy Missouri bar called The Double Deuce. Dalton is put to the test as he is called on to protect its residents from the bully Brad Wesley who was played by Ben Gazzara.
The report added that Rousey will play as the female counterpart to Swayze's character. It is said that the plot will be spun out of the original idea as the screenplay for the film is yet to be written.
Rousey went to Twitter to confirm on Wednesday that she will be in the 1989 cult classic movie.
"It is a great honor to play a part in celebrating the life of a man that inspired so many. I couldn't be more grateful to have this opportunity to pay respect to the beloved Patrick Swayze," Rousey tweeted. "I promise to work incessantly to make sure this project is a tribute his family and fans can be proud of."
According to Rousey's agent, Brad Slater of William Morris Endeavor, Rousey asked Swayze's widow, Lisa Nieme, for permission to play the starring role. Slater added that Rousey got the approval. Swayze died in Sept. 14, 2009 after losing to pancreatic cancer. The project is owned by MGM and the media company selected Rousey to take the lead role.
"Production of the movie will be dictated, as always, by her fight schedule," said Slater. "That's how we always do it and that will be the case here."
"Road House" is actually Rousey's fourth movie. According to Vanity Fair, the UFC fighter has brief supporting parts in big name movies including "The Expendables 3," "Fast & Furious 7," and "Entourage." Additionally, Rousey will also be filming "Mile 22" alongside Mark Wahlberg in the coming months and will star a biopic movie of her based on her book "My Fight/Your Fight."
According to Variety, the film will begin production in 2016.
Speaking of Rousey's acting career, "Arrow" actor Stephen Amell revealed during Dragon Con that he wants to the UFC champion to appear on the show.
"Ronda Rousey can play... Ronda Rousey can replace me for an episode if she wants. Ronda Rousey can literally do anything she wants at this point... to me... to the show!" Amell said in the report by ScienceFiction.com. The report added that Amell is up for anything so long as Rousey gets to be in the show.