Ronda Rousey Takes Patrick Swayze Role In Road House Remake

The UFC champ asked permission of Swayze's widow prior to signing on for the upcoming film.

Ronda Rousey has landed her next Hollywood gig, and it looks as if she's going to have some pretty big shoes to fill. According to a report from Variety, Rousey will star in the upcoming Road House remake. In the new film, Rousey will take the role star Patrick Swayze had in the 1989 original - though obviously the story will be updated, given the gender swap. The original movie, one of Swayze's biggest, had him playing Dalton, a "cooler" brought in to bounce at a sketchy roadside bar, The Double Deuce. Also starring Kelly Lynch and Sam Elliot, it's something of an 80s classic, but nowhere near untouchable (with Ghostbusters being remade, what is?). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oByMeAfwARs MGM is helming the remake, which has been in the works for several years. Production begins in 2016. The Variety report makes note of the fact that Rousey sought - and obtained - approval from Swayze's widow, Lisa Niemi, prior to joining the project. https://twitter.com/RondaRousey/status/641645175358402560 With so many irons in the Hollywood fire - she is also appearing in the upcoming Mile 22 under director Peter Berg, as well as Warner Bros.' The Athena Project and Paramount's adaptation of her own life story, My Fight/Your Fight - it seems clear that Rousey will be extremely busy in the coming months, which may mean scaling back the rate at which she defends her UFC title. In fact, in recent weeks Rousey has fueled speculation that her retirement from combat sports could be sooner rather than later, stating that she won't fight past age thirty-one, and that any fight could very well be her last. Road House marks her largest role to date - and if successful, could see the crossover star move to acting permanently.
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Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.