Director Doug Liman is still fuming over the streaming release of his action flick "Road House", starring Jake Gyllenhaal. In a recent interview, he expressed his frustration over not being properly compensated for the film's successful streaming run on Amazon Prime Video.
Liman, known for directing blockbusters like "The Bourne Identity" and "Edge of Tomorrow", insists he has no issue with streaming itself. He acknowledges its importance in providing opportunities for filmmakers, writers, and actors. However, he believes the compensation structure for streaming releases needs to be addressed, particularly in cases where films originally intended for theatrical release are shifted to streaming platforms.
"We made the movie for MGM to be in theatres," Liman explained, "Everyone was paid as if it was going to be in theatres. Then Amazon switched it on us, and nobody got compensated."
He further highlighted the irony of the film's success, stating, "50 million people saw 'Road House', but I didn't get a cent, Jake Gyllenhaal didn't get a cent, [producer] Joel Silver didn't get a cent. That's wrong."
Amazon, on the other hand, reported that "Road House" had attracted 50 million viewers worldwide within its first two weekends on Prime Video, making it the studio's "most-watched produced film debut ever on a worldwide basis." Despite these impressive figures, Liman claims he never received any backend pay.
While Amazon has yet to comment on the matter, the studio has announced a sequel to "Road House" with Gyllenhaal set to return. It remains unclear if Liman will be involved in the project.
Originally, Liman planned to boycott the world premiere of "Road House" at SXSW due to the film's streaming release. Reports emerged at the time that the film was always destined for a global streaming release, with Liman, Gyllenhaal, and producer Joel Silver given the option of a $60 million budget and theatrical release or an $85 million budget and a streaming-only release. They opted for the latter, but the details of their backend compensation remain undisclosed.
Gyllenhaal, however, clarified in an interview that Amazon had always been clear about the film's streaming release and that he was simply excited to have the film seen by as many people as possible.
Liman's current issue lies in the lack of compensation for the film's significant streaming success. He contrasted this with his experience working on "The Instigators" for Apple, where he was compensated for the streaming release from the outset.
His situation highlights a growing concern within the film industry regarding the fairness of streaming payouts. As the landscape of film distribution continues to shift, the debate over compensation for creators in the streaming era is likely to intensify.
