Conor McGregor Throws His Hat Into the Acting Ring

Conor McGregor, the fighting Irishman best known for being a UFC champion, is throwing his hat into the ring in Hollywood. The 34 year old Dubliner is slatted to make his acting debut in Amazon Prime’s remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze classic “Roadhouse.”

He will get to cut his acting teeth alongside Hollywood veteran Jake Gyllenhaal. MacGregor’s role in the reboot is still unknown, while Gyllenhaal, ironically enough, will be portraying a former UFC fighter turned bouncer.

The film is reportedly a loose reboot, and is said to take place in the Florida keys. It follows Gyllenhaal’s character, a former UFC fighter, who takes a job as a bouncer in a gritty, rough and tumble bar. Macgregor’s role, however, is still a mystery.

Shooting is set to start this August in the Dominican Republic, which will be standing in for the Florida Keys, and will be directed by Doug Liman. Liman has directed such films as “The Bourne Identity,” “Edge of Tomorrow” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” so undoubtedly the movie will have some fast-paced action and fight scenes.

This isn’t the first time a “Roadhouse” reboot has been planned by Hollywood. Back in 2015 a remake starring female UFC star Ronda Rousey was set to go into production, but it got shelved. Fortunately, for McGregor and the rest of the cast and crew, this version got the greenlight and is backed with a well-known lead, Gyllenhaal, and a director with some notable films under his belt.

Depending upon the success and acting chops of McGregor in the upcoming film, he may find a niche for himself in Hollywood. Perhaps he will lead the charge of former UFC champs jumping from the octagon onto a film set. That is not all too implausible, as has been the case with professional wrestlers like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Dave Bautista, both of who have made lucrative careers in acting.

The film still has no release date, so fans will have to wait in anticipation to see the Irish MMA champ on the screen.